BodySlam

Author: Todd Homegrown

  • John Cena’s WWE Backlash Announcement Details Kept Quiet Backstage

    John Cena’s WWE Backlash Announcement Details Kept Quiet Backstage

    What will be John Cena’s surprise announcement tonight at WWE Backlash from Tampa, Florida?

    Earlier this week John Cena revealed that he will be in Tampa for WWE’s Backlash PLE and will be making an announcement that will “shock the very foundation of WWE.” 

    “WWE Universe, hey, John Cena here, standing in Thunder Alley outside of Benchmark International Arena in Tampa Bay,” Cena said in a video hyping his upcoming appearance. “In just a few days, I have a major announcement inside this building that is going to shock the very foundation of WWE, from its fans to its superstars, from its champions down to its rookies. I’m so grateful Tampa is allowing me the place to make this announcement. Thank you, WWE. See it live on ESPN in the States and Netflix around the world, but don’t miss Backlash. I’m so excited, and I’ll see you there.”

    This has led to a lot of speculation as to what the announcement may be with all the added hype, although many believed initially that it was related to “Club WWE.” But, according to a new report via WrestleVotes there was some internal hope backstage at last night’s SmackDown in Jacksonville that the announcement goes beyond anything Club WWE related. However, it was said that if is the direction “it’s been kept very quiet behind the scenes.”

    “Backstage at SmackDown last night, there was some internal hope that tonight’s “historic” announcement from John Cena goes beyond anything Club WWE related. That said, according to one source, if that’s the direction, it’s been kept very quiet behind the scenes.”

    The Club WWE membership program was officially announced back on April 14th, 2026. Fans are currently able to register online if they are interested. It was also revealed that the Club WWE Gold Membership will feature benefits such as exclusive 24 hour ticket presale access for all WWE Events, exclusive meet-and-greets, along with hospitality perks at featured WWE Events, as well as bonus WWE content.

    It should be noted that John Cena has previously stated publicly that Club WWE is his next project, and is his way to stay connected with WWE after his retirement earlier this year at WrestleMania 42.

    What do you think John Cena’s announcement tonight at Backlash will be? Do you think it will live up to the promise to “shock the very foundation of WWE?” Let us know in the comments, or on social media.

     

  • Limitless Warzone 2026 Results – Portland, Maine – May8th, 2026

    Limitless Warzone 2026 Results – Portland, Maine – May8th, 2026

    Limitless Wrestling held their Warzone 2026 event on Friday May 8th. 2026 from the Portland Expo in Portland, Maine. The event aired live on the Limitless YouTube Channel.

    Below are the quick results for Limitless Warzone 2026:

    • Bear Bronson defeated Daron Richardson
    • Vacationland Cup Qualifying Match: Jada Stone defeated Maggie Lee
    • Brooke Havok, Jada Stone & ODB defeated B3 (Aaron Ortiz, Anthony Vecchio & B3CCA)
    • Keagan Garland defeated Scotty 2 Hotty
    • Warzone Steel Cage Match: Team Limitless (Ace Romero, Aiden Aggro, Daphne DeVille & Gabby Forza w/J-Heru) defeated The Limit (Aaron Rourke, Anthony Greene, Channing Thomas & Donovan Dijak w/Sidney Bakabella)

    You can watch the entire Limitless Warzone 2026 event below.

    (h/t Cagematch for the results.)

  • CMLL Viernes Espectacular Results – May 8th, 2026

    CMLL Viernes Espectacular Results – May 8th, 2026

    Consejo Mundial De Lucha Libre held their weekly CMLL Viernes Espectacular event on Friday May 8th, 2026 from Arena Mexico in Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico. The event aired live on the CMLL YouTube channel.

    Below are the quick results for CMLL’s Viernes Espectacular – 5/8/26:

    • Atrapasuenos (Espiritu Negro & Rey Cometa) & Fuego defeated La Ola Negra (Dark Magic, Espanto Jr. & Gallero) – (9:03)
    • Best Two Out Of Three Falls Tag Team Match: Brillante Jr. & Diamond defeated Los Hermanos Calavera (Calavera Jr. I & Calavera Jr. II) two falls to one – (10:56)
    • Best Two Out Of Three Falls Six Man Tag Team Match: Kira, La Jarochita & Tessa Blanchard defeated Keyra, Reyna Isis & Zeuxis two falls to none – (8:25)
    • Best Two Out Of Three Falls Eight Man Tag Team Match: El Elemental, El Terrible, Explosivo & Maquina Letal defeated Los Viajeros Del Espacio (Futuro, Hombre Bala Jr., Max Star & Valiente Jr.) two falls to one – (11:49)
    • Lightning Match: Neon defeated Black Tiger – (8:40)
    • Best Two Out Of Three Falls Tag Team Match: Mistico & Titan defeated Angel de Oro & Barbaro Cavernario two falls to one – (18:02)

    (h/t Cagematch for the results.)

     

  • CCW Havoc And Haze 25 Results – Tampa, Florida – May 8th, 2026

    CCW Havoc And Haze 25 Results – Tampa, Florida – May 8th, 2026

    Coastal Championship Wrestling held their CCW Havoc And Haze 25 event on Friday May 8th, 2026 from the Magnanimous Brewing Company in Tampa, Florida.

    Below are the quick results from CCW’s Havoc and Haze 25:

    • Daniel Lacey defeated Sean Maluta – (11:04)
    • Christyan XO defeated Invidia – (2:24)
    • Stallion Rogers defeated Remolacha – (9:47)
    • It’s GAL defeated Mike Cunningham – (9:35)
    • The House Of Taurus (Eddie Taurus & Tyson Malrick w/Dr. Eric Christopher) defeated Aaron Harmes & Alex The Body – (10:23)
    • CCW Women’s Championship Match: Kristin Blaze (c) defeated Madisyn Maxxwell – (11:57)
    • Matt Taven defeated Ben Bishop – (10:09)
    • Cha Cha Charlie & Jackal Stevens defeated Monster Mosh (Ozzy Kilmeister & Skitz) – (13:58)

    (h/t Cagematch for the results.)

  • WWE SmackDown Results – Jacksonville, Florida – May 8th, 2026

    WWE SmackDown Results – Jacksonville, Florida – May 8th, 2026

    World Wrestling Entertainment held this week’s episode of SmackDown on Friday night May 8th, 2026 from the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida. The event aired live on the USA Network in the United States and Netflix internationally.

    Below are the quick results for this week’s episode of WWE SmackDown:

    • WWE Women’s United States Championship Match: Tiffany Stratton (c) defeated Kiana James (w/Giulia) to retain the WWE Women’s US Title – (8:02)
    • Talla Tonga (w/Solo Sikoa) defeated Damian Priest – (9:16)
    • Ricky Saints defeated Matt Cardona – (8:35)
    • Fatal Influence (Fallon Henley, Jacy Jayne & Lainey Reid) defeated Alexa Bliss, Charlotte Flair & Rhea Ripley – (9:57)
    • Royce Keys defeated Tama Tonga (w/Solo Sikoa & Talla Tonga) – (9:52)

     

  • The Sandman Reflects On ECW’s Infamous Crucifixion Angle And Kurt Angle Fallout

    The Sandman Reflects On ECW’s Infamous Crucifixion Angle And Kurt Angle Fallout

    ECW was never known for playing it safe, and few moments in the company’s history generated more controversy than the infamous crucifixion angle involving Raven and The Sandman.

    During a recent appearance on “INSIGHT with Chris Van Vliet,” ECW Original The Sandman looked back on the controversial segment, the backlash that followed, and the reaction from Olympic gold medalist Kurt Angle.

    The angle, which aired in 1996 in Extreme Championship Wrestling, saw Raven’s flock tie Sandman to a wooden crucifix in one of the most shocking visuals in wrestling history. According to Sandman, he was more involved in the segment than many fans may realize.

    When asked if he remembered Raven pitching the idea to him, Sandman admitted he couldn’t recall the conversation itself, but revealed he personally built the crucifix used in the angle.

    “No, I can’t remember, but I made it. I made it out of wood. If you guys go back and you watch Tommy Dreamer against Brian Lee in the scaffold match, I built that scaffold. It’s hanging down by chains from the ceiling, made out of the same four-by-fours that this thing’s made out of. So I made that thing too. So this thing was easy. I thought this was great.”

    The segment remains one of the most debated angles in wrestling history, with many believing it crossed a line even by ECW standards. Sandman made it clear that the controversy was part of the appeal.

    “Well, yes, that’s why I did it, but I didn’t care. I don’t know. I’ve never been a God-fearing person. I think there’s something, but I don’t believe in that. I don’t believe in like, the Father, the Son, the Holy Ghost kind of part of it. So to me, it wasn’t really blasphemous, for one, and for two, it’s professional wrestling, you know what I mean, and for three, f*ck anybody that didn’t like it.”

    The fallout from the segment became almost as legendary as the angle itself. Following backlash from fans and critics, Raven publicly apologized for the segment. Sandman said he strongly opposed the decision and believed nobody involved should have backed down.

    “Oh, no, I told him not to. I told everybody. It’s Paul [Heyman], Todd Gordon, Shane [Douglas], Kurt Angle me and Raven. I told all of them, ‘You’re all fcking assholes. This is bullsht.’ He should not be going out there, and walked away.”

    The controversy also famously played a role in Angle distancing himself from ECW at the time. Angle, who had only recently won Olympic gold and was exploring a future in professional wrestling, reportedly wanted no association with the angle after witnessing it firsthand.

    Sandman said he understood Angle’s perspective, especially considering it was his first exposure to the wrestling business.

    “I can’t blame Kurt. First of all, I can’t blame anybody for the father and son the Holy Spirit sht. It’s his first delve into professional wrestling, and I could see how he’s a little bit aghast at it. He’s trying to dip his foot into the waters. ‘I’m not sure I want to be involved with this.’ So I can understand his perspective. I can’t understand Paul’s perspective of even considering letting Raven go and doing that. That’s fcking bullsh*t.”

    The crucifixion angle remains one of the defining examples of ECW’s willingness to push boundaries during the 1990s wrestling boom. While opinions on the segment remain divided decades later, Sandman clearly has no regrets about participating in one of the most controversial moments in wrestling history.

    You can watch the entire interview with The Sandman on INSIGHT with Chris Van Vliet below.

    (H/T to “INSIGHT with Chris Van Vliet” for the quotes.)

  • ECW Original The Sandman Reveals How ‘Enter Sandman’ Became His Iconic Entrance Theme

    ECW Original The Sandman Reveals How ‘Enter Sandman’ Became His Iconic Entrance Theme

    Few entrance themes in professional wrestling history are as instantly recognizable or emotionally tied to a performer as Metallica’s “Enter Sandman” is to ECW Original The Sandman.

    For generations of fans, hearing the opening riff immediately brings back memories of the Singapore cane-swinging hardcore icon stumbling through the crowd inside the old ECW Arena with a cigarette in one hand and a beer in the other. But according to Sandman himself, the now-legendary pairing almost never happened.

    Speaking during a recent appearance on INSIGHT with Chris Van Vliet, Sandman detailed the surprisingly simple origin story behind using the Metallica classic as his entrance music during his rise in Extreme Championship Wrestling.

    “So I had a job working for the Philadelphia Inquirer. I had a thing we called the Sandman van. It was a custom van. There’s like four captains chairs, a bed in the back, TV and everything. I would pile 10-12 kids in there and drop them off in a neighborhood. They would knock on doors, and they would get people to sign up for The Philadelphia Inquirer. So one of those kids that work for me, he keeps telling me about the song, but I didn’t know what he was talking about. Then he got a tape. It was like an eight-track. I hear it, and I’m like, boom. I think I was coming out, the Big Shot to Billy Joel, and then I switched over to that. Look how great that worked out.”

    The change would ultimately become one of the defining presentation choices of the entire ECW era. While modern wrestling entrances are often carefully focus-grouped and produced, Sandman’s connection to “Enter Sandman” felt organic, chaotic, and authentic — which perfectly matched the identity of ECW itself.

    The entrance eventually evolved into a full-on spectacle. Fans inside the ECW Arena would sing along word-for-word while Sandman made his way through the crowd, often taking several minutes to even reach the ring. In many ways, the entrance became bigger than the matches themselves and helped cement Sandman as one of hardcore wrestling’s most unforgettable stars.

    It also became one of the most expensive unofficial music usages in wrestling history. ECW famously used licensed music without securing long-term rights deals, something that added to the gritty underground atmosphere of the promotion during the 1990s.

    Even decades later, the pairing between Sandman and “Enter Sandman” remains inseparable in the minds of wrestling fans. What started as a recommendation from a kid working alongside him at the Philadelphia Inquirer ultimately turned into one of the most iconic entrances the business has ever seen.

    You can watch the entire interview with The Sandman on INSIGHT with Chris Van Vliet below.

     

    (H/T to “INSIGHT with Chris Van Vliet” for the quotes.)

  • WWE EVOLVE Results – April 22nd, 2026: Bullrope Match & More!

    WWE EVOLVE Results – April 22nd, 2026: Bullrope Match & More!

    World Wrestling Entertainment taped this week’s episode of EVOLVE on March 20th, 2026 from the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida and aired on Wednesday night, April 22nd, 2026 on Tubi.

    You can see the results for this week’s WWE EVOLVE below.

    • Harley Riggins & Kam Hendrix defeated Luca Crusifino & Tate Wilder
    • Kali Armstrong defeated Layla Diggs (w/Masyn Holiday)
    • Bullrope Match: Brooks Jensen defeated Cappuccino Jones

    (h/t Cagematch for the results.)

  • AEW Dynamite Results – Portland, Oregon (April 22nd, 2026)

    AEW Dynamite Results – Portland, Oregon (April 22nd, 2026)

    All Elite Wrestling held this week’s episode of AEW Dynamite on Wednesday night, April 22nd, 2026 from the Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Portland, Oregon. The event aired live on TBS and HBO Max. The show featured the return of Samoa Joe, plus Darby Allin defending the AEW World Championship against Tommaso Ciampa in the Main Event, plus much more. You can see the complete show results from this week’s episode of Dynamite below.

    AEW Dynamite Results – 4/22/26

    • Dark Match: Steven Borden defeated Mansoor
    • Dark Match: AR Fox, El Phantasmo, Mascara Dorada, Michael Oku & Mistico defeated Kip Sabian, Nick Wayne & The Lethal Twist (Blake Christian, Jay Lethal & Lee Johnson)
    • MJF Confronts Darby Allin to open the show. MJF came out wearing a “Seattle Screwjob” shirt, claiming that he was robbed of the AEW World Championship at Dynasty. AEW TNT Champion “The Jet” Kevin Knight comes out to interrupt MJF. The two banter back and forth until Knight eventually MJF decides he will challenge Knight for the TNT Title. MJF calls for a ref and it looks like we will be getting an impromptu TNT Title match, but instead MJF rolls out of the ring and tells Knight that the match will happen next week.
    • Backstage we see The Demand and Chris Jericho. It is announced that The Demand will take on Jericho in a trios match, but Jericho has yet to reveal his tag partners. Ricochet talks about Jericho being the man who got his ass beat by Ricochet, Jericho informs him that he went and got that phrase trademarked. Jericho shows off a t-shirt with the newly trademarked phrase. He tells The Demand that he doesn’t have to find two guys that like him to face them… just two people that don’t like Ricochet.
    • Match 1: Brody King vs. Lio Rush
      • Result: Brody King defeated Lio Rush via pinfall after a Ganso Bomb.
      • Following the match, King grabbed a microphone and said that he was keeping his eye on the Main Event World Championship later tonight.
    • Backstage segment with Tommaso Ciampa ahead of his Main Event match against Darby Allin for the AEW World Championship later tonight.
    • Backstage segment, we hear from Adam Copeland, who talks about why he and Christian deserve one last shot at the AEW World Tag Team Championships. Cope makes the challenge for Double or Nothing, and challenges FTR to a New York Street Fight. But that’s not all, Cope adds an additional stipulation: if FTR beat them at Double or Nothing for the Tag Titles, Cope and Cage will retire as a team.
    • Match 2: Hikaru Shida vs. Mina Shirakawa
      • Result: Hikaru Shida defeated Mina Shirakawa via pinfall using the Falcon Arrow.

     

    • We hear from Kazuchika Okada, who will be defending the AEW International Championship against Konosuke Takeshita at Double Or Nothing. Okada says Takeshita is still just a boy, and he will regret challenging the Rainmaker for the title…bitch.
    • Match 3: Mark Davis vs. Will Ospreay
      • Result: Mark Davis defeated Will Ospreay via Referee Stoppage.
      • After the match, Davis is about to hit another piledriver when Marina Shafir appears on the apron followed by the rest of the Death Riders, led by Jon Moxley. Davis leaves Ospreay in the ring with The Death Riders, who begin to roll Ospreay out of the ring, before he is eventually carried by Claudio Castagnoli through the crowd and to the back.
    • Backstage segment with Alex Windsor addresses her issues with the Triangle of Madness, and CMLL Women’s Champion Persephone offering to help.
    • Match 4: Samoa Joe vs. Cody Chhun
      • Result: Samoa Joe defeated Cody Chhun via pinfall after hitting the muscle buster.
      • Following the match, Joe celebrates his return and victory, he is met while walking back up the ramp by Hook who is applauding Joe’s return.
    • Video package highlighting Darby Allin ahead of his AEW World Championship match against Tommaso Ciampa in the main event of tonight’s Dynamite.
    • Backstage segment showing The Hurt Syndicate leaving Chris Jericho’s locker room. MVP says that with them its never personal, it’s just business.. and it appears as though The Hurt Syndicate will team with Chris Jericho against The Demand.
    • Darby Allin makes his way to the ring for his World Championship match, he addresses the crowd in Portland saying this was where he had his first match. He is eventually interrupted by MJF, who tells Darby that he doesn’t deserve shit and demands Darby give him back his title right now. Darby denies. MJF demands a rematch right now. Darby denies that as well, adding that he won’t face MJF until he can put something on the line.
    • MJF leaves and confronts Ciampa on the ramp while he makes his way to the ring for the Main Event.
    • Main Event – AEW World Championship Match: Darby Allin (c) vs. Tommaso Ciampa
      Result: Darby Allin defeated Tommaso Ciampa via submission by using the Scorpion Deathlock.
    • Following the match Brody King comes out and says that he spoke to Tony Khan and that if they have his permission, that he will challenge Darby Allin for the AEW World Title next week on Dynamite. Darby nods, and it’s official for next week.
  • WWE World At WrestleMania 42: Day 5 Results – April 20th, 2026

    WWE World At WrestleMania 42: Day 5 Results – April 20th, 2026

    World Wrestling Entertainment held Day 5 of WWE World At WrestleMania 42 on April 20th, 2026. The event took place at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.

    Day 5 of WWE World at WrestleMania 42 showcased two matches featuring AAA Lucha Libre Stars and WWE NXT Superstars, including a AAA World Mixed Tag Team Championship Match. You can see the full results from the event below.

    WWE World at WrestleMania 42 Results:

    • AAA World Mixed Tag Team Championship Match: Lola Vice & Mr. Iguana (c) defeated Shiloh Hill & Thea Hail to retain the AAA World Mixed Tag Team Titles.
    • El Hijo del Vikingo defeated Psycho Clown

    This was the final day of WWE World at WrestleMania 42, with tonight’s episode of WWE Monday Night Raw After Mania being the official close of WrestleMania Week.

    We will have live coverage of tonight’s special RAW After Mania edition of WWE Monday Night Raw on the Bodyslam X/Twitter and results on the Bodyslam website immediately following the broadcast.

    (h/t Cagematch for the results.)