In 2021, former Olympic boxer Anthony Ogogo burst onto the scene in AEW alongside QT Marshall to have a brief feud with Cody Rhodes. During an interview with ITR Wrestling, Ogogo noted that WWE Hall of Famer Diamond Dallas Page introduced him to Rhodes, since he’s the godfather to his daughter, which set him on the path to AEW.
“I told Cody the story, the Olympics, my eye injury, my mother not being well at the start of the Games [Olympics],” he recalled. Unfortunately, Ogogo’s mother suffered a brain aneurysm weeks before his Olympic match in 2012. Then, years later, he’d also suffer a severe eye injury during his fight against Craig Cunningham on October 22, 2016, rendering him legally blind.
“Cody was like ‘Damn, that’s a good story, you’re an athlete, you look good, you have pedigree, and one of the best boxers on the planet,” he said. Ogogo then noted that Rhodes spoke to Tony Khan, who he met before the first Double Or Nothing at a Fulham vs. Newcastle game, where they chatted the whole game. “He said listen I have got this for you and then offered me a contract. It was a wonderful day,” he recalled. Ogogo noted that Khan has been pivotal to the wrestling industry, and that he now gets to live the dream because of this.
Back in 2022, Ogogo’s grandmother passed away, and while telling Khan about the funeral proceeds for her, the two of them shared a touching moment. “He teared up for me that I lost my grandmother. He said, ‘Go take the time you want and just be there for your family,'” Ogogo recalled.
Chris Jericho also noted that the competition between WWE and AEW similarly boosted WWE’s product, just as their rivalry with WCW did, and criticized the fact that wrestling became a monopoly again after the aforementioned promotion’s acquisition. “When I first had a meeting with Tony Khan about this new company, I thought there was no way it would work, because I’d heard it so many times before,” he admitted.
The veteran then shared his belief that a successful wrestling company needs three important things to start: plenty of money, new talent, and a strong TV deal. According to Jericho, Khan had all of that. “That’s all you need to start a company. And then once we started, I knew I had about three months to build as many guys as I could while the spotlight was on me, since I was the only nationally recognized star besides Jim Ross,” he added.
Jericho then claimed that he closely began to work with the likes of Cody Rhodes, Kenny Omega, Adam Page, Darby Allin, Scorpio Sky, and Jungle Boy, to all pass on the torch in different ways. “Then I put together the Inner Circle with Sammy, Ortiz, Santana, and Jake,” he recounted. “Suddenly it’s not all on my back — it’s on six backs, then ten, then twelve. That’s how you build a company.”
As noted, WWE has moved NXT Stand & Deliver away from WrestleMania weekend for the first time in years, signaling a major shift in how the brand is positioned.
During an interview with ReviewSTL, Blake Monroe addressed the decision and made it clear she fully supports the move. She believes WWE NXT has grown beyond needing the added exposure of WrestleMania weekend and can now stand on its own as a major brand.
“I mean, it’s always business as usual, but I think for me, I always believe we call NXT the developmental, but I strongly believe we’re a third brand. We’re on the CW every Tuesday. We get a fantastic rating. We get a lot of social buzz. And I feel like we were attached to WrestleMania because we, you know, it used to be cool to take over as, you know, and it was kind of like to help NXT because we had so many people from all over the world coming to town to see WrestleMania. WrestleMania is like the Super Bowl of WWE, just takes over a city. So I think it was so beneficial for NXT to get that kind of all of that influx of people.”
“I now do believe that NXT has built itself to be such a strong brand and I think we can show we can hopefully bring some people to St. Louis, we can have this amazing show. I think the matches that we have so far, Joe Hendry, we’ve got JC Jane, myself, Tatum, I think we are going to have an amazing show and I don’t think that we need help in doing that. And I think this is a chance for us to prove ourselves as a third brand and show that we can run a huge event, run a huge show, have our own version of WrestleMania. And then we do have WWE World, which happens in Vegas on WrestleMania week. So I’m sure you will see some of the NXT talents. We still get to be a part of it, but I’m excited to kind of show like we can do our own thing.”
Monroe also spoke about her in-ring philosophy, stressing that storytelling is what truly defines great wrestling rather than constant high-risk moves.
“I think you can steal the show with a story. I mean, if you look at my career and my career highlights, I think all of them have come from a story. And I think I’m a fantastic wrestler in the ring. I don’t do 25 moonsaults or death defying stunts, but when I go out there I give 110% of what I do. And I feel like my in ring marries my character perfectly.”
“ I just think the most important part of wrestling is telling a story. If you think about the people on top right now and the WrestleMania main events we’ve had recently in the past sort of 10 years, you know, Cody and Roman, that was like a two year long epics. I mean it was incredible. If you like look at John Cena when I grew up too, like the stories I would watch when like Jeff Hardy finally won the world title, I mean those are the moments you remember. It’s the stories. Nobody cares if you can do some gymnastics. At least I don’t.”
By referencing names like Cody Rhodes, Roman Reigns, John Cena, and Jeff Hardy, Monroe pointed to long-term storytelling as the foundation of memorable moments in wrestling.
Her comments reflect a broader perspective within the industry, where emotional investment and character-driven narratives continue to outweigh purely athletic showcases. As NXT prepares to present Stand & Deliver outside the shadow of WrestleMania, Monroe’s confidence suggests the brand is ready to prove it can thrive independently.
Blake Monroe Backs NXT Stand & Deliver Move, Emphasizes Storytelling Over High Spots
Kofi Kingston appears ready to answer Penta’s Intercontinental Championship open challenge for the March 30 episode of WWE RAW at Madison Square Garden.
Penta issued the open challenge over the weekend via social media, posting a promotional graphic and hyping the opportunity for anyone willing to step up.
“NYC. MSG. P0M. IC OPEN CHALLENGE!!! Porque yo no le tengo miedo A NADIE. MONDAY NIGHT RAW WILL BE A SCORCHER. Penta’s road to WrestleMania is ON!”
Kingston quickly responded with a quote tweet that gained further traction after being shared by WWE’s official account, signaling that the match could be set.
“No se diga mas, cabron. I would love nothing more than to walk into the depths of Hell (New York) and pry the Holy Grail (IC Title) from the vile grips of the Devil himself (Penta). See you tomorrow, amigo.”
While WWE has yet to make the bout official, Kingston’s response strongly suggests he intends to step up for the title opportunity at Madison Square Garden.
The same episode of RAW is also expected to feature the return of Roxanne Perez, who has been out of action since undergoing surgery in February.
Perez revealed on TikTok that she had a benign mass removed from her back after dealing with the issue for months. She continued working through the pain until doctors advised her to address it. Following the procedure, Perez described the early recovery process as difficult.
She explained that she needed assistance with basic movement, including standing and walking, during the first few days. The internal stitches required time to heal, limiting her ability to train until receiving medical clearance.
Recent reports indicated that Perez had resumed training and was making steady progress in her recovery. However, at that time, she had not yet been fully cleared for in-ring competition.
Her expected return at Madison Square Garden would mark her first WWE appearance since shortly after the Royal Rumble in late January, adding another notable development to an already stacked RAW lineup as WWE continues building momentum toward WrestleMania 42.
Current Card for 3/30 For RAW In Madison Square Garden
World Tag Team Championship Street Fight: The Usos (Jimmy Uso and Jey Uso) (c) vs. Logan Paul and Austin Theory (The Vision)
Women’s Tag Team Championship: Nia Jax and Lash Legend (c) vs. Bayley and Lyra Valkyria
Intercontinental Championship Open Challenge: Penta (c) vs. TBD
Iyo Sky vs. Raquel Rodriguez
Confirmed Appearances:
Brock Lesnar, Roman Reigns, CM Punk, Stephanie Vaquer, and Rhea Ripley are all confirmed to appear. Roxanne Perez is also expected to return to television after undergoing surgery in February.
Hikaru Shida remains absent from AEW programming even after resolving her visa issues, with a new update shedding light on her current status.
According to Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Select, Shida is still not factored into any creative plans within AEW. The update came during a recent Fightful Select Answers Q&A session, where Sapp addressed fan questions about her whereabouts.
Hikaru Shida AEW Status
Despite being cleared to return and no longer dealing with visa complications, Shida has not been brought back to television. She is currently residing in Orlando, and there is no indication that she will be appearing on AEW programming in the immediate future.
The situation has raised questions, especially since many expected her visa resolution to be the final hurdle before her return. Sapp noted that the assumption internally and among fans was that once she could attend AEW tapings again—particularly with shows frequently held in Orlando—her reintegration into storylines would follow naturally. That has not happened.
Shida’s last appearance on AEW Dynamite came on November 20, 2024, where she was defeated by Kris Statlander. Since then, she has not appeared on AEW television. While she remained active in Japan throughout parts of 2025, she has yet to compete in a match at all in 2026.
Her absence is notable given her accomplishments within AEW. Shida is a three-time AEW Women’s World Champion, and her first reign lasted 372 days, making it one of the longest in the division’s history.
At this time, there is no clear explanation for why AEW has not reintroduced her into storylines. With no creative direction currently in place, Shida’s return timeline remains uncertain despite being available to compete.
Hikaru Shida re-signed with All Elite Wrestling in October 2025 on a new multi-year contract. Stay tuned for more.
