“No Real Consideration” Behind Recent Randy Orton Rumour ; May 2nd Wrestling News Round-Up

Fans were blown away by the high octane match between MCMG, DIY and Streep Profits on last week’s SmackDown…but it turns out they weren’t alone.

Writing in today’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer has awarded the SmackDown match five stars making it the first match in the history of SmackDown to achieve the honour.

It is also just the second WWE TV match to be awarded five stars after Ilja Dragunov and Gunther – then WALTER – became the first in 2021.

SmackDown Match Awarded Five Stars!

The Street Profits vs DIY vs The Motor City Machine Guns from SmackDown has been awarded FIVE STARS in this morning's Wrestling Observer Newsletter 🔥

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ pic.twitter.com/Q6Lfkl3szi

— ITR Wrestling (@ITRWrestling_) May 2, 2025

Former WWE Divas Champion Alicia Fox, now wrestling under her real name Victoria Crawford, has officially signed with TNA Wrestling, marking a major milestone in her comeback after years away from the spotlight.

Crawford made her debut on the May 1 edition of Impact, appearing alongside Robert Stone, who was introduced as a special overseer of TNA’s Director of Authority, Santino Marella. In a surprising twist, Stone announced Crawford as TNA’s new Deputy Director of Authority, immediately inserting her into a high-stakes title match.

Victoria Crawford will challenge reigning Knockouts Champion Masha Slamovich at Under Siege on May 23, marking her first official in-ring match for TNA. This comes after a prior altercation between the two at Unbreakable, where tensions flared with Crawford in the crowd.

WWE Hall of Famer Rey Mysterio is set to make his long-awaited return to Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide, per Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.

The news comes after WWE’s recent acquisition of AAA, signaling a major shift in the company’s global talent development.

According to AAA Managing Director Dorian Roldan, Mysterio will return to AAA for the first time since 2018. Roldan also hinted at the return of other former AAA stars now in WWE, including Penta El Zero Miedo and Rey Fenix, who are reportedly excited to work with the promotion again.

Key Points:

• Rey Mysterio’s last AAA match: 2018, a triple threat for the AAA Mega Championship.
• Other returning talent: Penta (last appeared in 2024) and Fenix (last appeared in 2022).
• AAA’s new role: Will now act as a developmental gateway for Mexican talent eyeing future WWE careers.

Coming off the success of WrestleMania 41, WWE has released another wave of staff, this time focusing on corporate and behind-the-scenes personnel rather than on-screen talent.

According to PWInsider, 10–12 employees were let go on May 1, with more potentially affected. These layoffs impacted multiple departments, including:

• Creative Services
• Photography
• Creative Writing Operations

The most high-profile name released was Christine Lubrano, WWE’s Senior Vice President of Creative Writing Operations. Lubrano played a major role behind the scenes by managing strategic operations for all of WWE’s creative teams — including Raw, SmackDown, and NXT.

Lubrano and Bruce Prichard were both in charge of the creative writing teams.
They reported directly to WWE Chief Content Officer Triple H.
There has been no confirmation yet on whether this round of cuts is part of a broader restructuring or if further layoffs are expected.

This follows February’s wave of talent cuts, which included several former champions and long-tenured talent like Cedric Alexander, Sonya Deville, Akam, Rezar, and Blair Davenport, as well as the more recent releases of Giovanni Vinci, Karl Anderson, Luke Gallows, and Isla Dawn.

See how John Cena went from being OVW’s Prototype, to struggling on WWE’s main roster, to becoming WWE’s biggest Superstar in this behind-the-scenes look at Cena’s early days in WWE.

Check out this full episode below, courtesy of the WWE!

Check out full highlights from this week’s blockbuster episode of AEW Dynamite below, courtesy of AEW!

Despite widespread online speculation, a new report from Fightful Select has made it clear that Mercedes Moné does not have creative control over her booking in AEW or NJPW.

Moné — who holds the TBS Championship, NJPW Strong Women’s Championship, and RevPro Undisputed British Women’s Championship — is currently one of the most decorated and featured women in wrestling. She recently advanced to the Owen Hart Cup finals and is set to face Jamie Hayter at Double or Nothing for a shot at the AEW Women’s World Championship at All In Texas.

However, rumors have circulated that Moné, since becoming a top star outside WWE, wields significant influence behind the scenes. That has now been firmly denied:

• AEW and NJPW sources stated Moné does not have creative control over her matches.
• They also added there have been no instances where she refused to lose — because she hasn’t even been pitched to lose in the first place.
• Suggestions of her having control are believed to be kayfabe, aligning with her on-screen persona.

One source even pointed to Moné’s 2023 NJPW match against Willow Nightingale, where she changed the finish mid-match to ensure Willow won after Moné suffered a legitimate ankle injury — a move showing professionalism, not ego.

In summary, Mercedes Moné’s push is attributed to strong booking and trust from AEW and NJPW leadership, not any behind-the-scenes demands.

WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair has addressed his recent absence from AEW programming, confirming that while he is still under contract with the company, he’s currently being kept off TV — and he believes it’s due to health concerns.

Flair had been a recurring presence during Sting’s farewell run in late 2023 and early 2024, culminating in an appearance at AEW Revolution, which featured Sting’s final match. But since then, the legendary Nature Boy has vanished from AEW screens, and a previously reported appearance earlier this year was quietly canceled.

Speaking on Busted Open Radio, Flair explained that Tony Khan pulled back on using him after learning he was on blood thinners — something Flair hadn’t initially disclosed. The issue came to a head when Flair intended to blade himself during Sting’s last match:

“Tony didn’t know I was on blood thinners… At Sting’s last match, I had already made a blade. I was ready to go. He said, ‘No, I don’t want you doing nothing.’” [h/t WrestleZone]

Flair noted that he has a history of helping others with blading techniques, and even during the AEW run, he had tools ready. But concerns over his health understandably led Khan to shut it down.

Flair also missed WrestleMania 41, despite expectations that he might appear as John Cena broke his long-standing World Title record. Flair stated his AEW contract prevented him from attending the WWE event — even as a spectator — despite his daughter Charlotte Flair competing on night one against Tiffany Stratton.

WWE is heading back to Australia with Crown Jewel Perth, officially set for Saturday, October 11, at the RAC Arena in Perth. In a major first, this will be the first-ever Crown Jewel held outside of Saudi Arabia, breaking tradition after six years of Riyadh-based events.

As part of the three-day takeover, SmackDown will air live from the same venue on Friday, October 10, and Raw will follow on Monday, October 13 — creating a full WWE weekend experience for fans down under.

Adding star power to the historic occasion, Undisputed Champion John Cena is confirmed for all three events, a move that’s expected to generate huge buzz across Australia and the broader Asia-Pacific region.

Fans can now register for presale access at WWE.com, with ticket sales dates to be announced soon.

The RAC Arena seats around 15,000 and will provide a more intimate setting than the last WWE event in Perth — Elimination Chamber 2024 — which was held at Optus Stadium and drew over 52,000 fans.

This latest international push comes on the heels of WWE’s global expansion, including recent shows in London, Paris, and Riyadh, and the headline-making acquisition of Lucha Libre AAA, signaling growing plans in Mexico and South America.

Despite fan speculation following an RKO from Randy Orton on SmackDown, Nick Aldis was reportedly never in the running to face The Viper at WrestleMania 41.

According to WrestleVotes Radio via Sportskeeda Backstage Pass, the brief on-screen confrontation between Aldis and Orton was done purely to fill time, with no long-term plans for Aldis to wrestle on the show.

By the time the segment aired, Joe Hendry had already been locked in as Orton’s WrestleMania opponent.

While Aldis hasn’t wrestled since joining WWE as SmackDown General Manager, the report notes that he is open to stepping back into the ring in the future — if the story fits.

Did you like how Randy Orton’s WrestleMania match played out? Let us know using the thumbs below!

Hello and welcome back to the ITRWrestling live blog

My name is Liam and I will be with you from 10am to 6pm (UK) covering all the biggest stories from the past 24 hours across the world in wrestling.

Kicking things off today we have:

• A recent rumour surrounding plans for Randy Orton is said to have had ‘no real consideration’ from the WWE.
• The date and location of WWE Crown Jewel 2025 has been revealed and it will not be in Saudi Arabia!
• Ric Flair has given an unusual reason behind his recent AEW absence.
• Does Mercedes Mone have creative control in AEW, a new report has shone light on this persistent rumour.