May 2026 Wrestling News & Discussion

[The Comedian]

I know people love to play "dog pile on WWE", but c'mon son...they got a fucking decade or more out of New Day, there was nothing left for them to do. Move on. That's how the business works.  MCMG? If you thought that was ever gonna be anything more than a courtesy run so they could add WWE tag titles to their list of accomplishments,  you're nuts. 

[supremebve]

1 hour ago, SirSmUgly said:

Where exactly can Woods and Kofi go to wrestle for big money that doesn't have ties to this presidential regime? 

Y'all need to realize that there's pretty much no major company within any field that black folks can go work in (at least in the United States) and the owners aren't feeding money to this regime and regimes like it that are trying to erode the civil rights of black people. 

I was talking to my sister about this when we were trying to not go to Target or use Amazon.  How many places can you buy deodorant and not give money to a corporation that supports Trump?  

[Pete]

30 minutes ago, Peck said:

FWIW, Sapp said he would still be able to use Kofi since that's his birth name but "likely" would not be able to use Kingston.

Even though his usage of it directly predates his WWE run?

[Technico Support]

I don't even feel like AEW should sign MCMG.  There's no debating their influence and what they meant to indy wrestling, etc from the mid 2000s to the mid teens, but do they have anything in 2026 that's not done better by younger teams on the roster?  I mean I guess TK could do a short-term pickup for dream matches for the sickos (Bucks, FTR, E&C, etc), but The Rascalz are essentially 2006 MCMG, so no need for them to be around long term.  

8 minutes ago, supremebve said:

I was talking to my sister about this when we were trying to not go to Target or use Amazon.  How many places can you buy deodorant and not give money to a corporation that supports Trump?  

Seriously.  When all those companies were walking back their support for DEI, we were all in on quitting Target, Wal Mart, Amazon, etc.  But shit, when the economy is in the shitter and you're barely getting by paycheck to paycheck, it's hard to shop with your morals in mind.  So we regrettably just shop wherever's cheapest now.    

But regarding supporting WWE being okay because every company supports Republicans in some way...come on.  There's a difference between "well these guys gave to both parties last election" and "these guys know Trump personally and are part of his cabinet."

Edited May 5 by Technico Support

[Elsalvajeloco]

2 minutes ago, Pete said:

Even though his usage of it directly predates his WWE run?

Doesn't really matter if you sign the rights away. Candice LeRae for example was using that name for about 15 years prior signing with WWE. I am assuming in order to keep using that name she had to sign the rights away. Otherwise, they come up with a name for you.

[Zimbra]

It's very important to me that you all know that these exist and are real: 

Can't believe JFK left Barby hanging on the fist bump

[Peck]

4 minutes ago, Zimbra said:

Can't believe JFK left Barby hanging on the fist bump

To be fair, part of his head was blown off. I'll call it a Play On. 

(Too soon...?)

[Cobra Commander]

pairing The Warlord with LBJ would have been some real commentary

(could have made that joke about several Presidents)

[Technico Support]

6 minutes ago, Zimbra said:

It's very important to me that you all know that these exist and are real: 

Can't believe JFK left Barby hanging on the fist bump

 

.........KENNEDY!

[Elsalvajeloco]

If Dan Bongino and Kash Patel can run the FBI, the goddamn Hammer can as well. Just saying.

 

[supremebve]

2 minutes ago, Technico Support said:

I don't even feel like AEW should sign MCMG.  There's no debating their influence and what they meant to indy wrestling, etc from the mid 2000s to the mid teens, but do they have anything in 2026 that's not done better by younger teams on the roster?  I mean I guess TK could do a short-term pickup for dream matches for the sickos (Bucks, FTR, E&C, etc), but The Rascalz are essentially 2006 MCMG, so no need for them to be around long term.  

Seriously.  When all those companies were walking back their support for DEI, we were all in on quitting Target, Wal Mart, Amazon, etc.  But shit, when the economy is in the shitter and you're barely getting by paycheck to paycheck, it's hard to shop with your morals in mind.    

But regarding supporting WWE being okay because every company supports Republicans in some way...come on.  There's a difference between "well these guys gave to both parties last election" and "these guys know Trump personally and are part of his cabinet."

The real issue is that we should have stopped supporting many of these companies before they grew so large that they drove everyone else out of business.  We let comfort and convenience paint us into a corner where our choices are one giant megacorporation or another giant megacorporation.  

[Elsalvajeloco]

3 minutes ago, Peck said:

To be fair, part of his head was blown off. I'll call it a Play On. 

(Too soon...?)

If Barb and Haku were running his security detail that faithful day, we all know that wouldn't have happened. 

[Casey]

3 minutes ago, Elsalvajeloco said:

Doesn't really matter if you sign the rights away. Candice LeRae for example was using that name for about 15 years prior signing with WWE. I am assuming in order to keep using that name she had to sign the rights away. Otherwise, they come up with a name for you.

Tommaso was using his name on the indies almost 20 years ago, and here we are in 2026. He's used it in various indies, ROH, NXT, the main roster and now AEW. I don't think it's quite as cut and dry as what you're saying. There are a ton of examples of this, especially with the people who were signed during NXT Black & Gold. All of Undisputed Era, Samoa Joe, Eric Young, Ricochet, etc. 

So yeah they "sign the rights away" so they can make merch, be in video games, etc, but it's probably for the duration of their contract(s).

Is there even an example of someone being signed to WWE, being able to use a name they had pre-WWE, then leaving and NOT being able to use that name still? I can't think of anyone.

 

[Cobra Commander]

2 minutes ago, Elsalvajeloco said:

If Dan Bongino and Kash Patel can run the FBI, the goddamn Hammer can as well. Just saying.

prospective FBI agents will have to break boards with their elbow drops like Greg did

[Cobra Commander]

MMA is probably one big reason why the "martial arts that can break shit with your hands" stuff really fell out of style, right?

not to be confused with strongmen tearing phone books at school assemblies

[Zimbra]

9 minutes ago, Cobra Commander said:

pairing The Warlord with LBJ would have been some real commentary

(could have made that joke about several Presidents)

Robert Fuller/LBJ would also be an appropriate combo.

[Elsalvajeloco]

13 minutes ago, Casey said:

Tommaso was using his name on the indies almost 20 years ago, and here we are in 2026. He's used it in various indies, ROH, NXT, the main roster and now AEW. I don't think it's quite as cut and dry as what you're saying. There are a ton of examples of this, especially with the people who were signed during NXT Black & Gold. All of Undisputed Era, Samoa Joe, Eric Young, Ricochet, etc. 

So yeah they "sign the rights away" so they can make merch, be in video games, etc, but it's probably for the duration of their contract(s).

Keep in mind, being released as part of their annual culling and an agreed upon release is different. Also, if they press legally over the name, how fast do you fold and just come up with a new one for wherever you land at? It hasn't happened yet, but I am assuming TKO might be as litigious as the McDevitt years.

13 minutes ago, Casey said:

Is there even an example of someone being signed to WWE, being able to use a name they had pre-WWE, then leaving and NOT being able to use that name still? I can't think of anyone.

Although she isn't active anymore, Beth Phoenix/Phoenix was used pre WWE and she goes by Beth Copeland now or she did in AEW when she appeared there.

[HarryArchieGus]

3 hours ago, Technico Support said:

I don't even feel like AEW should sign MCMG.  There's no debating their influence and what they meant to indy wrestling, etc from the mid 2000s to the mid teens, but do they have anything in 2026 that's not done better by younger teams on the roster?  I mean I guess TK could do a short-term pickup for dream matches for the sickos (Bucks, FTR, E&C, etc), but The Rascalz are essentially 2006 MCMG, so no need for them to be around long term.  

Seriously.  When all those companies were walking back their support for DEI, we were all in on quitting Target, Wal Mart, Amazon, etc.  But shit, when the economy is in the shitter and you're barely getting by paycheck to paycheck, it's hard to shop with your morals in mind.  So we regrettably just shop wherever's cheapest now.    

But regarding supporting WWE being okay because every company supports Republicans in some way...come on.  There's a difference between "well these guys gave to both parties last election" and "these guys know Trump personally and are part of his cabinet."

Get out of here with that ageist nonsense. They're both still clearly very talented and capable of working at a higher level than most. Besides, if it were only those dream matches you mentioned - it would still be completely worth it. I barely saw the MCMG in their glory days. I didn't actually see much of them until their last TNA run, which was consistently great no matter who the opponents. The Rascals are doing a great job since joining AEW, so no shade, but they are not at all the poetry in motion that is MCMG.

Very much with the latter part concerning spending time/money with shitty political ties. That said, defeatist attitudes towards researching products is discouraging. There's always been reason to research where your money goes. Sometimes it can't be avoided, sometimes with a little effort it absolutely can.

3 hours ago, Casey said:

Tommaso was using his name on the indies almost 20 years ago, and here we are in 2026. He's used it in various indies, ROH, NXT, the main roster and now AEW. I don't think it's quite as cut and dry as what you're saying. There are a ton of examples of this, especially with the people who were signed during NXT Black & Gold. All of Undisputed Era, Samoa Joe, Eric Young, Ricochet, etc. 

So yeah they "sign the rights away" so they can make merch, be in video games, etc, but it's probably for the duration of their contract(s).

Is there even an example of someone being signed to WWE, being able to use a name they had pre-WWE, then leaving and NOT being able to use that name still? I can't think of anyone.

Totally with you here, but I think some of the ECW guys would fall under that - The Dudleys and Justin Credible come to mind. That was obviously a unique case with WWE buying up the ECW assets, which I assume is how they were able to stake claim to those names.

Edited May 5 by HarryArchieGus

[Elsalvajeloco]

1 hour ago, supremebve said:

The real issue is that we should have stopped supporting many of these companies before they grew so large that they drove everyone else out of business.  We let comfort and convenience paint us into a corner where our choices are one giant megacorporation or another giant megacorporation.  

Living in this area for a hot minute now, I can say that Walmart and Tyson Foods were going to exist at their current level regardless just because of how our country is constructed. Comfort and convenience is different with every class. Northwest Arkansas has had a heavy influx of immigrants from all over but a lot of Mexicans and people from all over Central America. You don't want to spend your dollars here? Fine. The family of ten who just came here that live either together or close together will spend their money. That's how those companies flourish or did to get to the level they currently are at. Self sufficiency works if there is no disparity in wealth and income and class doesn't exist.

[Elsalvajeloco]

1 hour ago, supremebve said:

not give money to a corporation that supports Trump?  

If you pay taxes, you support Trump technically.

This reminds me of Patrice O'Neal talking about people hitting him with the "you don't support the troops?!". The military/armed forces are not an entity to be "supported" in the way people generally mean. They will exist whether you "support" them or not.

Trump is in office. Where you spend your money is largely irrelevant cause it's going to end up in the hands of federal government anyway. That money just doesn't stop in the hands of that one corporation. In addition, you can actually do your due diligence and investigate the company you're actually financially support and they still donate to a cause you would never support. Unfortunately, you would never have full visibility unless you actually work for that company and can account for every dollar and cent. THEN, you would need to follow the trail once it leaves that entity. It will ultimately go somewhere undesirable.

 

[supremebve]

33 minutes ago, Elsalvajeloco said:

Living in this area for a hot minute now, I can say that Walmart and Tyson Foods were going to exist at their current level regardless just because of how our country is constructed. Comfort and convenience is different with every class. Northwest Arkansas has had a heavy influx of immigrants from all over but a lot of Mexicans and people from all over Central America. You don't want to spend your dollars here? Fine. The family of ten who just came here that live either together or close together will spend their money. That's how those companies flourish or did to get to the level they currently are at Self sufficiency works if there is no disparity in wealth and income and class doesn't exist.

Yeah, this is part of it, but not all of it.  The fact of the matter is that all of these companies that did away with their DEI policies primarily employ minorities.  It is not just that they alienated their customer base, but they also alienated their employee base.  When these corporations had the opportunity to speak up for not just their customers, but their employees, they would rather suck up to power.  That's a level of cowardice that I can't really abide.  It sucks because you need to work and you need to buy shit, but the same people you work for and support with your dollars will sell you out with no shame.  Those immigrants who are working for and shopping at Walmart and Tyson Foods are the same people those companies would stand by and watch be deported without due process.  

[Elsalvajeloco]

26 minutes ago, supremebve said:

Yeah, this is part of it, but not all of it.  The fact of the matter is that all of these companies that did away with their DEI policies primarily employ minorities.  It is not just that they alienated their customer base, but they also alienated their employee base.  When these corporations had the opportunity to speak up for not just their customers, but their employees, they would rather suck up to power.  That's a level of cowardice that I can't really abide.  It sucks because you need to work and you need to buy shit, but the same people you work for and support with your dollars will sell you out with no shame.  Those immigrants who are working for and shopping at Walmart and Tyson Foods are the same people those companies would stand by and watch be deported without due process.  

This mindset has existed long before Trump though. All Donald did was forced people to show their hands before they play them. You're either on his side or not. He doesn't give you middle ground. You lift the veil or stand on the outside.

Companies always stand lock step with whatever current administration. Whether the next one is better or even harsher, guess what? The same thing will apply. Lock step.

Also, these companies do "stand" with you. However, their idea is standing with you is your monthly/yearly compensation and the ability to provide for yourself and your family. That's why labor unions exist.

[odessasteps]

King Kofi is right there. 

[Elsalvajeloco]

Just now, odessasteps said:

King Kofi is right there. 

I would file the trademark to-DAY. Don't wait.

[Hamhock]

Just team him up with Eddie and introduce them as Kofi and Eddie Kingston.