WWE Star Has Surprisingly Not Been Contacted for Evolution
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
As WWE prepares for its second all-women's premium live event, Evolution, fans are speculating about which legends might make a surprise appearance. However, one WWE Hall of Famer has confirmed that as of now, she has not been asked to be part of the show.
Michelle McCool took to social media to address fans who were hoping to see her compete in the event's high-stakes battle royal. Her response indicates she is not currently scheduled to be in Atlanta for the July 13th show.
Michelle McCool Says WWE Hasn't Called
On X, a fan urged Michelle McCool to "pick up the phone" and get herself booked in the battle royal at Evolution. In a direct reply, McCool shot down the idea that she was holding out, stating that WWE simply has not reached out to her.
McCool responded to the fan, "Hasn't rang!" This simple but clear statement seems to confirm she will not be one of the surprise entrants in the battle royal, where the winner will earn a future championship match.
A History Of Surprise Returns
McCool's potential involvement was a popular topic among fans due to her history of making surprise returns. Since retiring from full-time competition in 2011, she has made several popular one-off appearances in WWE.
DORTMUND, GERMANY - NOVEMBER 01: Natalya competes in the ring against Shotzi during the WWE Live Show at Westfalenhalle on November 1, 2022 in Dortmund, Germany.
DORTMUND, GERMANY - NOVEMBER 01: Natalya competes in the ring against Shotzi during the WWE Live Show at Westfalenhalle on November 1, 2022 in Dortmund, Germany.
She has been a frequent surprise entrant in the Women's Royal Rumble match, competing in the 2018, 2022, and 2023 editions of the match, which created an expectation that she would be a likely candidate for the Evolution battle royal.
She has remained involved with the company in other ways as well. McCool currently serves as a coach on the second season of the A&E series WWE LFG, alongside her husband, The Undertaker.
More news: WWE News: Steve Austin Reveals Real-Life Vince McMahon Confrontation
Michelle McCool's Trailblazing Career
Michelle McCool is one of the most decorated and important competitors of her era. She made history by becoming the first-ever WWE Divas Champion in 2008. She later unified that title with the original WWE Women's Championship, making her the first person in history to have held both belts.
Her dominant heel run alongside Layla as the team "LayCool" was a top act on SmackDown for years. In recognition of her trailblazing career, McCool was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2025.
While she appears to be sitting this event out, the Evolution card is still loaded, with Trish Stratus challenging Tiffany Stratton for the WWE Women's Championship and Iyo Sky defending her Women's World Championship against Rhea Ripley.
More WWE News:
For more on WWE, head to Newsweek Sports
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
UPI
an hour ago
- UPI
Look: Nick Hogan pays tribute to late dad and 'best friend' Hulk Hogan
July 27 (UPI) -- Nick Hogan is paying tribute to his dad, the wrestler and media star Hulk Hogan, who died Thursday at the age of 71. "Thank you to everyone who has reached out to me and comforted me over the last few days. It truly means a lot. I'm sorry to everyone I have not responded to yet. This has been overwhelming and extremely difficult," Hogan wrote on Instagram Saturday. "Hearing so many kind words and stories about my dad's life, interactions and experiences with everyone has been incredible and comforting. My dad was the most incredible person I've ever known and will always be my hero. He was the most kind, loving and amazing father anybody could ask for. I feel so blessed to have had the greatest dad in the world. He was not only the best dad but also my mentor and my best friend." Addressing his father directly, he added: "Thank you for being my best friend. I love you so much Big Dog and I will miss you forever." The elder Hogan -- whose real name was Terry Bollea -- died at his Florida home at the age of 71. In addition to his career inside the WWE ring, Hogan starred in the reality shows Hogan Knows Best, American Gladiators and Hulk Hogan's Celebrity Championship Wrestling. His film credits include Rocky III, No Holds Barred, Suburban Commando, Mr. Nanny and Spy Hard.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Wrestling Legend Turns Heads With 'Racy' 50th Birthday Photo
Wrestling Legend Turns Heads With 'Racy' 50th Birthday Photo originally appeared on The Spun. Not everyone ages with grace, but legendary wrestling star Torrie Wilson certainly has. The iconic wrestling star, who is a member of the WWE Hall of Fame, recently celebrated her birthday. It was a big one. Wilson turned 50 years old. She did it with class, too. Wilson turned heads with her sizzling 50th birthday photo, shared to Instagram over the weekend. "Im carving out what I want my own version of 50 to Im SO excited to be entering the most magical chapter of my life!" she wrote on her Instagram post. "There's something incredibly freeing about realizing you are only obligated to operate where it's authentic to you. No boxes. Letting go of whatever idea you think you 'should' be at a certain number and just being free to be you. "Let them! And let me! ✨🩷🥳" The iconic wrestling star grabbed attention with her sizzling post shared to social media. It's easy to see why she has so many followers. Wilson, at age 50, has more than one million followers on her Instagram account. It's pretty impressive. What will the standout wrestling star have in store for her 51st birthday next year? We can't wait to find out. Wrestling Legend Turns Heads With 'Racy' 50th Birthday Photo first appeared on The Spun on Jul 27, 2025 This story was originally reported by The Spun on Jul 27, 2025, where it first appeared. Solve the daily Crossword
Newsweek
2 hours ago
- Newsweek
Almost 20 Years After Katrina, a Filmmaker Visited New Orleans. Everyone Told Her the Same Thing.
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A visitor in New Orleans might frolic around the French Quarter, revel in Mardi Gras culture or get lost in a blues performance. When trying to track down the tastiest jumbo, it is easy to forget the trauma that meanders the Mississippi. But for residents, there is no getting away from the impacts of Hurricane Katrina, which still haunts the city two decades on. Filmmaker Traci A. Curry visited Essence Festival in 2023, a behemoth of Black American culture hosted annually in the city. She soon uncovered a startling truth, uttered by pretty much everyone in New Orleans—from Uber drivers to bartenders. "What was interesting was that all of them said some version of the same thing, which was that for those of us who come to New Orleans as visitors, it looks and feels as the New Orleans we all know. The one of our imagination. It's the Mardi Gras, it's the drinking, it's the food, it's the music. "But for us, they describe this bifurcated experience of the city—of before Katrina and after Katrina, that continues to this day," Curry told Newsweek in an interview at the London pre-screening of the upcoming five-part documentary Hurricane Katrina: Race Against Time, premiering July 27 on National Geographic and streaming July 28 on Disney+ and Hulu. Anthony Andrews and Traci A. Curry during a Q&A event at the London pre-screening of "Hurricane Katrina: Race Against Time". Anthony Andrews and Traci A. Curry during a Q&A event at the London pre-screening of "Hurricane Katrina: Race Against Time". Lydia Patrick/Lydia Patrick It soon became clear to her that the city's recovery is somewhat surface-level. Curry's series—a five-part documentary—peels back the veneer of post‑Katrina New Orleans to reveal the lingering scars. A Man-Made Disaster Most Americans remember the mayhem when Katrina made landfall off Louisiana on August 29, 2005. Broadcasts aired stampedes of people trapped in the Superdome, overhead footage of submerged streets, and looted grocery stores. Now, the storm is memorialized as a "man‑made" disaster, noting the failure of the emergency response and the maintenance of the aging levee system that was supposed to protect the low‑lying neighborhoods from being utterly deluged. Curry told Newsweek: "So many of the things that happened during Katrina and the story that we tell were not things created by the storm. They were things that were revealed and exacerbated by the storm," noting how it disproportionately impacted poorer Black communities. A mandatory evacuation order was put in place; tens of thousands of the city's 480,000 residents fled, but more than 100,000 remained trapped. Many made their way to the Superdome, which descended into unbridled chaos as survivors were left without means to survive. Stranded New Orleans residents gather underneath the interstate following Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Stranded New Orleans residents gather underneath the interstate following Hurricane Katrina in 2005. KTVT - TV/KTVT - TV "When you're talking about class and race and, you know, all these things—so much of the reason that there were so many people left behind is because they could not afford to just because you are working class and don't have money, you are more likely to perish during Katrina," Curry added. A crowd of stranded New Orleans residents are gathered outside of the Superdome following Hurricane Katrina in 2005. A crowd of stranded New Orleans residents are gathered outside of the Superdome following Hurricane Katrina in 2005. ABC News/ABC News The Personal Stories Curry and her team sifted through hundreds of hours of footage to reframe the narrative of Katrina with humanity. Curry explained during a post‑screening Q&A hosted by Anthony Andrews, co-founder of arts company We Are Parable: "I used to be a news producer, and I understand how it goes. If you're on a deadline, you get your shot and go. If you run the same footage of one guy taking the TV over and over, that becomes the story." But she believes something more nefarious took place, too: dangerous stereotypes against Black people were perpetuated, dehumanizing victims of the unfolding tragedy. "There's a pre‑existing narrative about Black people in the U.S.—violence and pathology—that the media can easily lean into. News cycles don't incentivize a nuanced human story," she said. A military helicopter arrives to rescue stranded New Orleans residents in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005. A military helicopter arrives to rescue stranded New Orleans residents in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005. John Keller/John Keller The Oscar-nominated director counteracted this with personal and individualized footage. "You can either look at footage, look through hundreds of hours and see like shirtless Black men running crazy and say like, 'That's a criminal,' or you say 'that's a human being that's trying to survive' and allow that to inform the storytelling, which is what I and the team did," she explained. "You as the audience member must look into the eyes of the human being." Personal stories include that of Lucrece, a mother trapped in her attic with her children. Her daughter wrote their names on the walls, believing they were going to die. They were rescued by boat, but had to confront her haunting reality, a submerged city. Lucrece Phillips, resident of the 8th Ward at the time of Hurricane Katrina, who shared her harrowing rescue story in the documentary series. Lucrece Phillips, resident of the 8th Ward at the time of Hurricane Katrina, who shared her harrowing rescue story in the documentary series. Disney/National Geographic/Disney/National Geographic "There's a point at which she sees the body of a dead baby in the water. She says, 'Stop the boat, we have to get her.' The man goes, 'We have to focus on the living,'" Curry recalled. Lessons Learned? Fast‑forward 20 years and New Orleans is a city forever etched by disaster. The Lower Ninth Ward was completely decimated by Katrina, and today the area once populated by working‑class Black residents remains largely vacant. "It looks like it just happened," Curry said. "There's footage in the fifth episode we shot last year: block after block of concrete steps leading nowhere—houses that no longer exist. That neighborhood has never recovered." Meanwhile, gentrification has "turbo‑charged" the displacement of the original community, as rising housing costs transform shotgun doubles into Airbnbs with skyrocketing rents. Natural disasters are still having devastating effects. Before production wrapped, Hurricane Helene made landfall in September 2025, causing extreme flooding in Asheville, North Carolina. Crushed vehicles and storm debris sit along the Swannanoa River in a landscape scarred by Hurricane Helene on March 24, 2025, in Asheville, North Carolina. Crushed vehicles and storm debris sit along the Swannanoa River in a landscape scarred by Hurricane Helene on March 24, 2025, in Asheville, North Carolina. AFP/Getty Images "There were different weather events—the fires in Hawaii and Los Angeles. All very different. Katrina was singular in many ways, but we've seen the same contours: a weather event exacerbated by man‑made environmental impacts, an infrastructure unfit to sustain it, and harm that disproportionately affects the most vulnerable. As severe weather worsens with climate change, this will only continue unless we center the needs of the most vulnerable before the storm," Curry warned. Curry added that, while Katrina's impact is New Orleans‑centric, similar inequalities plague other communities—like the predominantly Black "Cancer Alley" upriver, where higher-than-average cancer rates have been blamed on factory pollution, or neighborhoods saddled with heat‑intensive data "server farms" and tainted water. "Katrina's story just has so much to teach us about related issues that are continuing to happen today. I hope people wake up," she added. Highlighting this point is footage of President George W. Bush flying over the apocalyptic scenes of New Orleans. The series cuts in near‑identical footage from 1965's Hurricane Betsy—when the Lower Ninth Ward was submerged similarly—yet that time President Lyndon Johnson came immediately, and emergency operations began at once. Curry notes that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), whose response was heavily criticized, has since learned from Katrina and adjusted policies to better serve those most vulnerable before a storm. But today the agency faces significant financial cuts, and its survival hangs in the balance as political pressures threaten to dismantle the system altogether. Yet the bigger story Curry wants to tell—decades on from disaster—is one of community. "Even in the most inhumane conditions, when all of these systems had failed and civil society broke down, these people did not lose their humanity. They held onto it, expressed it through care for one another, and used whatever agency they had to maintain the tight bonds of kinship and community that characterize New Orleans."
