LiveWrestleMania 43 Being Pushed As The Biggest WrestleMania of All Time Despite Fan Backlash; September 12th Wrestling News Round-Up

AEW TBS Champion Mercedes Moné continues to blend her worlds of wrestling and fashion, living up to her “CEO” persona with yet another high-profile appearance outside the ring.

Known for her bold looks and ever-changing wigs that match her outfits, Moné has long embraced fashion as part of her identity. During her WWE run, she made pink and later blue hair her signature, a trend she has carried into her AEW career.

On September 11, Moné walked the runway at New York Fashion Week, representing Jeffrey Kelly Design. The star was spotted strutting in style, bringing her trademark confidence and flair to the event.

This was not Moné’s first NYFW moment. Back in 2022, shortly after her and Naomi’s walkout from WWE RAW, the duo made headlines by appearing on the runway during the same event.

Beyond wrestling, Moné has broadened her career into acting, including her role as Koska Reeves in The Mandalorian.

WWE is continuing its journey into a bold new era, with major changes shaking up its historic schedule.

On September 10, it was confirmed that WrestleMania 2027 will take place in Saudi Arabia, marking the first time the company’s biggest event has ever been staged outside of North America. This comes on the heels of the announcement that the Royal Rumble will be held in the kingdom in 2026.

But WWE’s global ambitions aren’t the only shifts fans will notice. According to Wrestle Votes Radio, the company is breaking with another long-running tradition at the end of 2025.

For the first time since 2009, WWE will not host its annual post-Christmas live event at Madison Square Garden on December 26. Instead, the show is scheduled for Baltimore, Maryland.

The report noted:

“We are told WWE will not be hosting its annual post-Christmas live event at Madison Square Garden this year. The tradition that dates back to 2009 has seen WWE run an untelevised house show at MSG every December 26. Instead, this year, WWE has a live event booked in Baltimore, Maryland.” [h/t WrestlingNewsCo]

Bryan Danielson has never shied away from tackling unusual questions, and in a recent interview with Downunder The Ring, he gave his verdict on which AEW stars might actually stand a chance against a bear.

The American Dragon sized up several of AEW’s top names — Swerve Strickland, “Hangman” Adam Page, Kyle Fletcher, “Timeless” Toni Storm, Kenny Omega, and Mercedes Moné — and broke down their odds.

Danielson said Swerve could potentially win, but only in a hardcore environment:

“If it’s a straight match, the bear wins. If it’s a gimmick match, Swerve is the craziest hardcore wrestler I’ve ever seen. He would staple that bear in the tongue or something.” [h/t Fightful]

On Hangman Page, he gave the edge thanks to cowboy experience:

“Hangman has more experience with rounding up animals, so I think he does better in a straight match than Swerve.”

Kyle Fletcher didn’t fare so well:

“He gets destroyed by a bear. I’m sorry, Australia… Kyle Fletcher could not defeat a bear.”

Danielson, however, had no hesitation in declaring Toni Storm the ultimate victor:

“She could beat a bear. Straight one-on-one? She could beat a bear. No questions asked.”

Kenny Omega, even if fully healthy, didn’t inspire Danielson’s confidence:

“I love Kenny Omega… but I vote for the bear. I just envisioned a bear ripping open his stomach.”

As for Mercedes Moné, his answer was blunt:

“I think a bear defeats her soundly.”

While Toni Storm has Danielson’s vote as the true “bear-slayer,” she’ll face very real competition soon. The AEW Women’s World Champion defends her title at All Out in a four-way match against Kris Statlander, Jamie Hayter, and Thekla.

AEW Collision wrapped up a special night at Philadelphia’s iconic 2300 Arena with a heartfelt tribute to the late “Hot Stuff” Eddie Gilbert, one of wrestling’s most influential minds and performers.

Following the night’s matches, AEW President Tony Khan stepped into the ring to address the crowd, honoring Gilbert’s lasting legacy in the wrestling business and his deep ties to the venue, once home to ECW. Joining Khan in the ring were Doug Gilbert, Tommy Rich, and Jeff Jarrett, each of whom shared emotional stories about Eddie. Doug Gilbert thanked AEW for recognizing his brother’s contributions, while Rich and Jarrett fondly remembered their days working alongside him.

The night reached another level when Sting made his first AEW appearance since his retirement match a year and a half ago. Walking out to a thunderous ovation, the WWE Hall of Famer spoke about how Eddie Gilbert gave him his first big break and taught him the intricacies of wrestling psychology. Sting told the crowd much of his career success was rooted in Gilbert’s mentorship. Moved by chants of “Thank you, Eddie,” Sting smiled and joked he would’ve preferred “Hot Stuff” chants, before closing his tribute with a salute and raising his fist to the rafters.

WWE Superstars join wrestlers from ECW and Japan’s FMW for a star-studded event honoring Terry Funk’s final match in his hometown of Amarillo, Texas, held Sept. 11, 1997, and featuring Bret “Hit Man” Hart, Mankind, Sabu, Rob Van Dam, Jake Roberts and more.

Check out this historic event in full below, courtesy of WWE.

Wrestling legend Dean Malenko sits down with Renee Paquette at the historic 2300 Arena. They discuss Malenko’s career, including their legendary tag team and Malenko’s family legacy in wrestling.

Check out the video in full below, courtesy of AEW.

Recently reports have begun to circulate noting that there is interest in WWE re-signing former World Champion Chris Jericho as his AEW contract looks to expire in December 2025.

Speaking on Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer covered the news noting that there is interest on WWE’s side and that the move would make sense for Jericho himself:

“Jericho’s actually a really big story. His contract’s up at the end of the year, and there’s certainly been lots and lots of talk about WWE. I know from a WWE standpoint that there is lots of talk there about Jericho. People are speculating about the Royal Rumble. Nobody has officially said anything, nor will anyone officially say anything. From a timing standpoint – all things being equal from Jericho’s standpoint, it’s time to go to WWE.

The stuff that has been plaguing him, like fan response, he goes to WWE…a guy that goes from AEW to WWE is going to be over like crazy. It’s new again, so from that standpoint, especially for a guy that’s always looking to revitalise his career, it’s the move.”

Now, speaking on the Torg & Elliot show, Tony Khan has weighed in, heaping praise on Jericho and stating he would love to have him back on AEW TV.

Khan would state:

“Chris Jericho has been here since the very beginning. I have so much great respect for Chris Jericho. I would love to have Chris in AEW any time. We absolutely want Chris Jericho back in AEW, and hopefully soon. He’s been great with us and been with us since the first event. The very first AEW World Champion, and Chris is a huge part of the history in AEW and is still in great shape and a great wrestler.”

Do you think Chris Jericho will return to AEW? Let us know using the thumbs below!

Ronda Rousey has found herself in hot water with many in the wrestling world following a string of controversial remarks aimed at WWE and some of its biggest stars.

Speaking on The Lapsed Fan podcast, the former Women’s Champion revisited her time in WWE and did not hold back. Rousey claimed Vince McMahon was “legitimately scared” of her, even going so far as to call him a “pervert.” She also admitted she refused to tap out to Becky Lynch, before taking a direct shot at Alexa Bliss and WWE’s booking decisions.

“The fact that they had me fighting Alexa Bliss at all was fcking ridiculous. And you want to know why they had me against Alexa Bliss? Because she had the most merch sales at the time, on that side. Like, what the fck? Like, that’s your decision-making process?”

The remarks immediately raised eyebrows, with Dutch Mantell weighing in on his Story Time podcast. Mantell suggested that Rousey’s issue with Bliss might not have been purely professional and that the former UFC star still has heat with the current WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion:

“Absolutely! I was gonna say this. She just didn’t like her. Period. And didn’t want to work with her. They may have not gotten along in the back. Their personalities could have clashed.”

Meanwhile, Peter Rosenberg blasted Rousey on his own show, calling her words disrespectful and “classless.”

“Can you just have a little class and not bury the people who work in the business day in and day out? This is a business that gave you a lot of money, a lot of fame, and you did quite well doing it, and you left when you wanted to. Nobody’s job is perfect.” [h/t TJRWrestling]

WWE Hall of Famer Jerry “The King” Lawler has unfortunately suffered another health setback. According to TMZ Sports, Lawler had a stroke on September 5 while at one of his homes in Florida.

Lawler has since been taken back to his primary residence by his daughter, where he is expected to spend the next several weeks recovering. The report notes that the wrestling legend has already begun his road to recovery and is expected to be “getting back to normal” in the coming weeks.

The 74-year-old was forced to cancel a scheduled appearance at a Cincinnati convention over the weekend, with the reason at the time only described as a “personal matter.”

Sadly, this is not the first major health scare for Lawler. He has suffered multiple strokes in recent years, including a massive one in 2023 that left him with lasting effects, and another in 2018. He also underwent knee replacement surgery in 2024. Perhaps most famously, Lawler suffered a near-fatal heart attack on live television during an episode of Monday Night Raw in September 2012, with doctors later revealing he had been clinically dead for 30 minutes before being revived.

Lawler was recently seen in good spirits while attending Vince McMahon’s 80th birthday party in New York City alongside WWE legends such as The Undertaker, John Cena, Sheamus, and Drew McIntyre.

Fans around the world will no doubt be wishing “The King” a smooth and steady recovery.

WWE continues to reshape the wrestling world in 2025 under Triple H’s leadership, and another major shift appears to be on the horizon.

The company has already made headlines this year by bringing back major stars, reviving fan-favorite Premium Live Events, and striking massive streaming deals with Netflix and ESPN. Now, WWE’s Chief Content Officer has confirmed that a “game-changing” announcement is coming.

Triple H took to social media to hype the reveal, writing:

“We’ll be making a huge announcement on @WWE’s YouTube channel. Friday at 3:00pm ET/12:00pm PT. I told you we’d change the game. And we’re just getting started.”

The scheduled YouTube premiere teases appearances from several top names, including The Undertaker, Shawn Michaels, Seth Rollins, Logan Paul, Bianca Belair, Liv Morgan, Stephanie Vaquer, and Charlotte Flair.

You can check out the scheduled live event, here.

After years of rumors, WWE will officially bring WrestleMania to Saudi Arabia in 2027, marking the first time the company’s biggest show of the year will take place in the Middle East.

Saudi Arabia has already hosted premium events such as Crown Jewel and will stage the Royal Rumble in 2026, but WrestleMania has long been considered the crown jewel of its deal with WWE. According to Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio, the deal was finalized in early August, with Saudi Arabia prepared to spend an “incredible, ridiculous amount of money” to create the most star-studded WrestleMania ever.

The choice of 2027 is no coincidence—it marks the 300th anniversary of Saudi Arabia’s founding, and officials want WrestleMania to be a centerpiece of the celebration.

Meltzer added that the country’s leadership has specific matches and names in mind, with money being no obstacle. Retired WWE legends are expected to be heavily pursued for one-night-only returns, echoing when Shawn Michaels briefly came out of retirement for a Saudi show in 2018.

With John Cena’s official retirement tour scheduled to conclude in December 2025, speculation has already begun that he could be among the megastars lured back for WrestleMania 2027.

Are you excited for WrestleMania in Saudi Arabia? 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 2pm (UK) covering all the biggest stories from the past 24 hours across the world in wrestling.

Kicking things off today we have:

• Despite major fan backlash, Saudi Arabia are pushing to make WrestleMania 43 the biggest WrestleMania ever.
• Triple H set to make a major WWE announcement.
• WWE Hall of Famer Jerry Lawler recovering after stroke.
• Ronda Rousey has heat with one current WWE Champion.
• Tony Khan comments on AEW return of Chris Jericho amidst WWE return rumours.