Fans Concerned As Rumours Surrounding Naomi’s WWE Future Loom; August 13th Wrestling News Round-Up

Tony Khan has confirmed that Emmy and Golden Globe winner Paul Walter Hauser will make his in-ring debut for Ring of Honor, marking the latest step in Hauser’s rapid rise from Hollywood to professional wrestling.

Known for roles in Cobra Kai, Richard Jewell, Black Bird, and the upcoming Fantastic Four and Naked Gun films, Hauser has been a lifelong wrestling fan and is currently the PROGRESS Proteus Champion under MLW. In just his first year as an active wrestler, he’s scored wins over Matt Cardona, Sami Callihan, Tom Lawlor, Joey Janela, and others, with only one singles loss.

Hauser has already appeared on AEW television — even guest-commentating on Collision last week — and has been in a brewing feud with AEW/ROH’s QT Marshall since an incident during the AEW Revolution pre-show in March. While Khan didn’t name Hauser’s opponent, all signs point to Marshall being his first ROH adversary.

Hauser last wrestled on August 8, successfully defending his PROGRESS title against Zickey Dice. Marshall, meanwhile, continues to work the independent circuit and last appeared for ROH in January.

This debut could be both a crossover spectacle and a personal grudge match — and if history is any indication, Paul Walter Hauser is not planning on just making a cameo.

The Anoa’i dynasty’s influence over WWE is undeniable, and one of its next-generation stars has his sights set firmly on the company. Zilla Fatu — son of the late WWE legend Umaga — recently told Chris Van Vliet on Insight that his ultimate career goal is to join his family in WWE.

When asked directly if that was the plan, Fatu didn’t hesitate:

“Yes. That’s so obvious. Yes. I would love to.”

Van Vliet suggested WWE likely already has him on their radar, to which Fatu replied, “I hope I am, man.”

The 29-year-old has been making waves on the independent circuit and recently debuted for TNA Wrestling at Slammiversary, teaming up with Jacob Fatu in the past and showcasing the Anoa’i family’s signature physical style.

However, Fatu’s rise hasn’t been without controversy. Following his TNA debut, WWE Hall of Famer Rikishi criticized his face paint, claiming it looked too similar to Jeff Hardy’s. Fatu fired back on social media, saying the matter could have been handled privately — but quickly deleted the post.

The tension escalated when Fatu’s mother accused Rikishi on TikTok of turning his back on Umaga’s family, adding that it was Umaga who helped Jimmy and Jey Uso land developmental deals with WWE.

Despite the drama, Zilla Fatu’s focus remains on his long-term ambition: stepping into a WWE ring and carrying on the family’s championship legacy.

Following their recent WWE departures, Karrion Kross and Scarlett Bordeaux will make their first public appearance this Wednesday on The Ariel Helwani Show, as announced by Helwani on X. The pair, who had become fan favorites despite underwhelming booking, exited WWE after their contracts expired post-SummerSlam.

Kross recently revealed on his YouTube channel that Logan Paul personally requested his brief WrestleMania 41 involvement, where he stopped Paul’s manager from interfering in the AJ Styles–Paul match. Calling it a “cool” gesture, Kross said he made sure to thank Paul in person the next day.

“El Toro Blanco” RUSH gives RJ City the horns as they debate how to pronounce his name, growing up in Tala Jalisco, Mexico, his wrestling father (La Bestia Del Ring), uncles and brothers (including Dralistico), how hard training was, wrestling as LATINO and ROUGE, never losing a hair versus hair match, why his hair is so good, why he doesn’t have a mustache, why he always uses the green camera cord to beat his opponents, why he’s so angry yet handsome, being “Tranquilo”, LFI, Los Faccion Ingobernables, his mask, luchadores being ugly, his tearaway suit, what his wife likes, what he would be if he wasn’t a wrestler, meeting Lio Rush, Big Time Rush, Rush Hour, messing with the Bull, getting the horns and a 2-year old Twitter feud over a WrestleAunts tote bag.

Former WWE star Matt Menard, better known to AEW fans as “Daddy Magic,” has officially signed a new long-term contract with All Elite Wrestling, keeping him with the promotion through the summer of 2030 according to a report from Fightful Select.

Menard, 41, joined AEW in 2021 alongside tag-team partner Angelo Parker as part of 2.0 and has since been a semi-active competitor while also contributing to commentary duties.

Originally, Menard’s deal was set to expire around All In, but the new five-year extension secures his future with the Jacksonville-based promotion. Despite competing only a handful of times in 2025, including a loss to FTR on the April 12 episode of Collision,

With Naomi sidelined by a legitimate injury just weeks after capturing the Women’s World Championship, WWE is pivoting fast—and Asuka is right in the spotlight.

On this week’s RAW, The Empress of Tomorrow escalated tensions with former Damage CTRL ally IYO SKY, shoving her after interference gone wrong in a match against Roxanne Perez. T

hat chaos, coupled with Kairi Sane walking out, set the stage for Asuka’s rumored heel turn to kick in much sooner than originally planned.

Sources say WWE wanted a slow build, but Naomi’s absence has sped up the timeline as the company reshuffles the women’s division.

The timing lines up perfectly with a major career milestone for Asuka, who will celebrate 10 years with WWE later this month.

While her initial appearance came at NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn in August 2015, her TV debut was in September of that year—giving the company two key dates to honor.

PWInsider reports that Asuka is now being positioned for another championship run, with IYO SKY seemingly written out of the title picture following her loss to Perez. A heel Asuka chasing gold on the anniversary of her debut could make for one of the most dangerous runs of her career.

John Cena’s Farewell Tour has been anything but quiet—heel turns, title wins, dream matches, and even a brief alliance with Logan Paul at Money in the Bank 2025.

That short-lived partnership ended in a loss to Jey Uso and Cody Rhodes, and now The Maverick is speaking out about what he really thinks of his former tag partner.

On the latest IMPAULSIVE podcast with Ariel Helwani, Paul admitted he wasn’t a fan of Cena’s sudden return to the babyface role ahead of SummerSlam, saying he wished the 17-time world champion would “be more like me, and just be himself.”

Paul’s comments add extra spice to their upcoming singles clash at Clash in Paris later this month. Since mending fences with Cody Rhodes, Cena has been back in fan-favorite mode—something Paul clearly doesn’t buy into.

The two recently collided on SmackDown, where Cena and Rhodes scored a win over Drew McIntyre and Paul via disqualification.

Now, with their history and some pointed words fueling the build, their Paris showdown promises more than just in-ring fireworks—it’s a battle over authenticity itself.

Brock Lesnar’s shocking comeback at SummerSlam 2025 has sparked a rare public contradiction between John Cena and Triple H, casting a shadow over Cena’s retirement tour.

After Lesnar attacked Cena following his loss to Cody Rhodes, Triple H told media that the return was part of Cena’s personal “wishlist” of final opponents.

But in multiple interviews—most recently with the Boston Herald—Cena flatly denied ever choosing his own opponents, saying in 23 years he’s always faced whoever WWE put in front of him.

The comments directly challenge Triple H’s version of events, suggesting Lesnar’s controversial return was a WWE management call, not Cena’s idea.

The stakes are high because Lesnar’s comeback carries baggage—he’s been absent since early 2024 after being named in the Janel Grant lawsuit against Vince McMahon and WWE.

Triple H’s framing appeared aimed at deflecting backlash, but it’s backfired, creating a credibility gap between WWE’s top executive and its biggest star.

With just 11 appearances left in Cena’s farewell run, inconsistent messaging risks distracting from what should be a triumphant send-off for one of wrestling’s most celebrated careers.

Fans were left concerned this week when Women’s World Champion Naomi was pulled from her scheduled title defense against IYO SKY on the August 11 episode of RAW. While SKY instead faced Roxanne Perez—ultimately losing after interference from Asuka and Kairi Sane—Naomi’s absence sparked speculation.

According to Wrestling Observer Live’s Bryan Alvarez, Naomi is believed to be dealing with a suspected concussion, which could keep her sidelined for an extended period. WWE is expected to reassess her status next week, especially with her Clash in Paris title defense against Stephanie Vaquer set for August 31.

Naomi’s latest run has been a career highlight—winning Money in the Bank, cashing in at Evolution 2025 to become champion, and cementing herself as a key player since her 2024 return. For now, though, her immediate future remains uncertain, and fans are hoping The Glow will shine again soon.

Hello and welcome back to the ITRWrestling live blog

My name is Liam and I will be with you from 2pm to 6pm (UK) covering all the biggest stories from the past 24 hours across the world in wrestling.

Kicking things off today we have:

• Fans are concerned as Naomi’s WWE Women’s Championship reign looks to be over amidst major backstage speculation.
• The WWE locker room is furious over the companies handling of Seth Rollins‘ fake injury.
• Asuka officially turns heel, set for a major push.
• Vince McMahon furious with Triple H’s disrespect to Hulk Hogan prior to legends passing.