El Mesias is officially set to make his return to AAA after several weeks away from television.
The 50 year old veteran was announced for next week’s AAA on Fox episode during the March 28 broadcast of AAA Rey de Reyes. His comeback adds another notable name back into the mix as the promotion continues to build momentum heading into the coming weeks.
Despite being off TV, El Mesias has remained active behind the scenes, competing at non televised AAA events. Most recently, he appeared on March 21 at the AAA Ruta Norte show, teaming with Mecha Wolf in a losing effort against El Hijo de Dr. Wagner Jr. and Laredo Kid.
His last televised outing came on the February 28 AAA on Fox tapings, where he picked up a win over Tokyo Bad Boys. Now, he returns to a landscape that has continued to evolve in his absence, with no clear direction yet revealed for what comes next.
Also confirmed for next week, Lady Flammer will face Sussy Love in singles action. Flammer continues her dominant run as the longest reigning Reina de Reinas Champion in AAA history and will look to extend her momentum once again.
Three more names are now official for the 33rd Best of the Super Juniors tournament.
NJPW confirmed on Saturday that House of Torture members SHO and Yoshinobu Kanemaru will be part of this year’s field, alongside DDT’s Daisuke Sasaki. The tournament is set to kick off on May 14 and will run through June 7.
SHO enters the competition looking to improve on recent outings, having gone 4 wins and 5 losses across his last three BOSJ appearances. Kanemaru returns for his ninth run in the tournament, still chasing his first victory in the prestigious junior heavyweight showcase.
For Sasaki, this marks a notable return to NJPW. It will be his first appearance with the promotion in 14 years, dating back to 2012 when he competed in both the inaugural NEVER Openweight Championship tournament and Best of the Super Juniors 19. Since then, he has built an impressive résumé in DDT, becoming a six-time KO-D Champion and a three-time DDT Universal Champion.
Airica Demia has officially secured her WWE ID contract.
The 21-year-old independent wrestler was presented with the deal during a Palmetto Championship Wrestling event in South Carolina, marking a major step forward in her young career.
Demia recently participated in a WWE tryout at the Performance Center in Orlando and comes from a wrestling background as a second-generation talent. Since making her debut in 2023, she has steadily built experience across the indie scene.
Earlier this year, she challenged Laynie Luck for the WWE ID Women’s Championship in January. She later competed in a six-way bout for the vacant title at Wrestling Open RI in November 2025.
Her most recent match came on March 6 at SHW 80 in Canton, Georgia, where she came up short against Hyena Hera.
Demia’s signing had been previously reported, and now it is official. She joins a growing list of WWE ID talents, several of whom have already made appearances on Evolve.
BREAKING….@Airica_Demia was just given a WWE ID contract at @PCWofSC in Camden, South Caroliina!
Bully remembers Vince playing off the incident as though nothing had happened, but in turns out there are indeed consequences when you drop the boss.
“Disaster! Vince crashes and burns, he tries to tell us that he’s totally fine, there’s not gonna be any heat from it – all is good,” Bully said, before ominously recalling how both he and D-Von were put in a dumpster the following “SmackDown.”
“They put us in a dumpster and dropped us 15 feet off the stage,” he said. “And D-Von did not tell me – my wife never told me after 20 years of marriage that she was claustrophobic. D-Von had an anxiety attack when he went into that dumpster.”
Bully recalled having to hold D-Von’s hand while they were in the dumpster and trying to make him imagine it was a rollercoaster ride.
“When that dumpster hits, you see the cover of the dumpster pop off, and D-Von come flying out, gasping for air!” he added. “The disaster was dropping Vince. The disaster was putting D-Von in a dumpster when he was claustrophobic, and that was our receipt.”
If you use any quotes from this article, please credit “Busted Open: Master’s Class” and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.
Bill Eadie and Barry Darsow of Demolition have shared strong opinions on the current use of gimmick matches in professional wrestling, arguing that they no longer carry the same meaning they once did.
Speaking on the Demo Pod podcast, both veterans explained that gimmick matches were once reserved as the final chapter in long-running feuds. According to Eadie, these matches were built over extended periods, often lasting more than a year, before reaching a decisive conclusion.
“Sometimes that buildup was a year, a year and a half, and it culminated with, now we’re going to get a winner. Now it’s finally going to be settled,” Eadie said. “I think it meant more then than it does now, because sometimes they just throw people into this gimmick match where there was no buildup for it.”
Darsow agreed and pointed to steel cage matches as an example of how things have changed over time. He noted that such matches were once rare, which made them feel important.
“The blowoff was a cage match or whatever. And then they wouldn’t have a cage match again until somebody else had another blowout,” Darsow said. “You might have one every other year. Now it’s like, ‘Hey, let’s just throw a cage match in there. Let’s have a ladder match.’”
Eadie also raised concerns about the physical toll of modern matches, suggesting that the focus has shifted away from traditional wrestling.
“A lot of the stuff is like gymnastics. It’s not wrestling. And they’re taking so many bumps, the propensity of potential injury greatly accelerates,” Eadie said. “We used to wrestle for the idea we’re going to be in this business for a long period of time. They have wrestlers now that have to outdo the match before, or the two matches, or the three matches before.”
Darsow echoed those concerns, warning about long-term health risks.
“These guys are unbelievable, the stuff they’re doing, but they’re crippling themselves up. Some of them are getting hurt so bad they can’t hardly work anymore,” Darsow said. “Every guy has to beat what the next guy does.”
He also referenced the famous Hell in a Cell moment involving Mick Foley and The Undertaker, recalling how dangerous it felt to watch.
“I just was like, oh my God, please be okay. One wrong move and you’re done. Thank God he walked away from it, but not very well,” Darsow said.
Eadie added that modern performers like Shane McMahon and Logan Paul highlight how far the risk level has increased.
“There’s only so many bumps in your body,” Eadie said.
Both men made it clear they would not have agreed to certain match types in today’s environment.
“If somebody proposed a scaffold match to me, I would certainly not do it. I have a hard time going off the high dive knowing that there’s water underneath,” Eadie said.
Their comments reflect a broader concern among veterans about how wrestling has evolved, especially regarding safety, storytelling, and the long-term health of performers.
Demolition Criticize Modern Gimmick Matches in Wrestling
