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Newsweek
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Newsweek
Fan-Favorite WWE Superstar Reportedly Out of Action
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. No matter where you look on the WWE card, there is always some who is operating at the top of their game. More Pro Wrestling: WWE Raw Superstar Sidelined With An Injury: Report Such is the case for Otis of Alpha Academy. Despite being featured lower on the card, Otis is guaranteed to bring a smile to your face while still impressing with his powerhouse style. Unfortunately, Otis has been missing from WWE television for some time now, and it now appears we know why. INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 06: (L-R) Otis, Maxxine Dupri and Akira Tozawa attend Netflix's Debut of WWE Monday Night Raw at Intuit Dome on January 06, 2025 in Inglewood, California. INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 06: (L-R) Otis, Maxxine Dupri and Akira Tozawa attend Netflix's Debut of WWE Monday Night Raw at Intuit Dome on January 06, 2025 in Inglewood, Netflix According to a report from WrestleVotes, Otis isn't just off of WWE television. He is completely out of action and off the internal roster for an unknown reason "I believe he's out of action," WrestleVotes said. "Don't know if it's an injury or personal reasons, however we speak about this roster that shows is currently not on the roster, which means they're not available right now." Otis is currently out of action and reportedly not listed on WWE's internal roster. "I believe he's out of action. Don't know if it's an injury or personal reasons, however we speak about this roster that shows up…Otis is currently not on the roster, which means they're not… — Cultaholic Wrestling (@Cultaholic) June 25, 2025 "For whatever reason, personal, injury, I don't know, I don't want to speculate. However, they're not available for weekly TV at the moment." More Pro Wrestling: WWE Superstar To Undergo Surgery: Report At the moment, there's no telling what this means for Otis or the future of Alpha Academy. However, it appears that Maxxine Dupri and Akira Tozawa will likely be getting some assistance from future WWE Hall of Famer Natalya Neidhart. Neidhart was seen in Dupri's corner for a losing effort against Ivy Nile of American Made. After the loss, Neidhart took to social media to support the former manager of Maximum Male Models alongside a clip from Raw. "You didn't do terrible," Neidhart said. "It wasn't amazing. It wasn't awful. It wasn't incredible. It wasn't bad. You definitely need some work." It will be interesting to see how Neidhart mentors Alpha Academy and what that means when Otis returns. More Pro Wrestling: WWE News: Dominik Mysterio Injured, Match at Night of Champions Canceled After some time as an amateur wrestler, Otis began his career in professional wrestling in 2015 before being scouted for WWE by Gerald Briscoe in 2016. Otis was first a member of Heavy Machinery alongside Tucker Knight on NXT before they were moved to the main roster in 2018. During this time, Otis was part of a massively popular storyline that saw him engaged in a love triangle with Mandy Rose and Dolph Ziggler. Eventually, Otis came out on top, defeating Ziggler and receiving a kiss from Rose. After Heavy Machinery disbanded, Otis soon joined forces with Chad Gable to form Alpha Academy, becoming one of the most popular tag teams in WWE. Eventually, the group would expand to include Dupri and Tozawa and garner even more attention from the WWE Universe. Gable would eventually become more abusive toward the group before they all walked out on him, leading to a fierce rivalry between Alpha Academy and Gable's new stable, American Made. In his time with WWE, Otis won the WWE Raw Tag Team Championship with Chad Gable and also won the Men's Money in the Bank ladder match in 2020. More Pro Wrestling: WWE Hall of Famer Reportedly Stepping Away From Wrestling For Good 'I Didn't Derail His Career': Kevin Owens Reveals WWE Storyline He Refused For more WWE and professional wrestling news, head on over to Newsweek Sports.
Newsweek
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Newsweek
WWE Veteran Breaks Silence On 'Demotion' Rumors
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. WWE veteran Natalya is receiving widespread praise for her response to a fan on social media. The fan accused WWE of demoting the long-tenured superstar. Natalya has been a cornerstone of WWE's women's division for years. Now in her 25th year as a professional wrestler, she has expanded her presence beyond the main roster. Natalya's Recent Appearances Outside Of The Main Roster In addition to her work on Raw and SmackDown, Natalya has recently competed for other promotions. She has made appearances for the NWA and GCW. This trend continued with a recent appearance on the WWE EVOLVE brand. She saved the inaugural EVOLVE Women's Champion, Kali Armstrong, from an attack by Nikkita Lyons and Zayda Steel. This angle has led to a tag team match being scheduled for the next EVOLVE episode. The match will feature Natalya and Armstrong against Lyons and Steel. Natalya Responds To Fan's "Demotion" Claim Following the announcement of her EVOLVE appearance, a fan on social media suggested it was a demotion. The former Divas Champion quickly and firmly dismissed this idea. She explained that she was the one who requested the opportunity to compete on the show. Her goal is to face a wide variety of opponents. "I very specifically asked to compete on this show for many reasons. I want to wrestle against women from every corner of our industry. When you've been hungry, you can never be full. #EVOLVE," Natalya wrote. WWE Monday Night Raw at Rose Garden arena in Portland. WWE Monday Night Raw at Rose Garden arena in Portland. More news: WWE News: Steve Austin Reveals Real-Life Vince McMahon Confrontation A Veteran's Desire To Compete Natalya's response highlights her passion for competition. She is actively seeking out new challenges and opponents. This desire to constantly test her skills shows her dedication to the sport. It refutes any notion that working on different brands is a step down. Her last match on main roster programming was during the May 26 Main Event tapings. She was defeated in a singles match by Roxanne Perez. This came one week after Perez won a Money in the Bank qualifying match. That match also involved Natalya and Becky Lynch. WWE has a real chance to do something of note with Nataya should they give her the chance to go out and shine the way many fans think she can. More WWE News: For more on WWE, head to Newsweek Sports.
Newsweek
12-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Newsweek
WWE Veteran Breaks Silence On R-Truth Controversy
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. Ron Killings announced his WWE release on X, causing confusion among fans and fellow wrestlers. R-Truth immediately trended on social media, with podcasters discussing what might have happened. After his June 1 release, "We want Truth" chants echoed during Raw and SmackDown episodes. Given the recent mass releases, fans thought seeing Truth again was unlikely. However, everything changed at the Money in the Bank Premium Live Event when the former United States Champion made a surprise appearance. Killings was then rebranded as Ron Killings and underwent a character change. He now has a darker persona compared to his usual jovial one. Killings addressed this transition on a recent episode of Raw. Natalya On The Ron Killings Controversy Killings' release left many WWE wrestlers puzzled. Veteran wrestler Natalya addressed the issue for the first time on the No Holds Barred podcast. "You know, when he put out that tweet last Sunday, when it all went down, I texted Truth right away. I was like, 'Truth, what's going on, like, this has gotta be like a storyline or a prank or something?'" "So, there was a series of events that happened, but he was so right in the way that it's the fans. It's not one of those things that every time somebody gets released that everybody can just scream and shout from the rooftops they want someone back." More news: WWE News: Steve Austin Reveals Real-Life Vince McMahon Confrontation INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 06: R-Truth attends Netflix's Debut of WWE Monday Night Raw at Intuit Dome on January 06, 2025 in Inglewood, California INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 06: R-Truth attends Netflix's Debut of WWE Monday Night Raw at Intuit Dome on January 06, 2025 in Inglewood, California "He's just somebody that's so beloved, and he's somebody that you just can't go 'goodbye.' I don't know all the particulars that happened, but I do love that he's basically crediting the fans. It gives our fans the feeling that they do have a voice." Natalya also predicted that Killings' return will allow him to tap into the greatest work he has ever done. She believes it will take him to a totally different realm in his career. The storyline connecting Killings' return remains a mystery. Upcoming weeks will surely reveal his progression, although many fans see this as Killing's last run with WWE due to his age, and are hoping to see the company use Killings the right way. Based off what they've done thus far, it's far to say that is happening. More WWE News: For more on WWE, head to Newsweek Sports.
Newsweek
09-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Newsweek
Important Name Forced To Intervene In Bringing R-Truth Back To WWE
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. On June 1, 2025, Ron "R-Truth" Killings announced on social media that WWE was not renewing his contract. The news sparked an immediate and widespread backlash from fans and talent alike, with the hashtag #WeWantTruth trending globally. Just days later, at Money in the Bank, Killings made a shocking return by attacking John Cena during the main event. This sudden reversal left many wondering if his departure had been a storyline all along. In the post-show press conference, WWE Chief Content Officer Paul "Triple H" Levesque added to the confusion. When asked about the situation, he simply stated, "All part of the show." However, Killings' own son, Christopher, quickly refuted that claim in a since-deleted social media post, calling the comment "cap." That means no. More news: WWE News: Steve Austin Reveals Real-Life Vince McMahon Confrontation A new report from Fightful Select has provided more evidence that the situation was not a planned storyline. A WWE higher-up confirmed the sequence of events, stating that Truth's initial departure was legitimate. INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 06: R-Truth attends Netflix's Debut of WWE Monday Night Raw at Intuit Dome on January 06, 2025 in Inglewood, California INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 06: R-Truth attends Netflix's Debut of WWE Monday Night Raw at Intuit Dome on January 06, 2025 in Inglewood, California According to the report, when WWE initially reached out to Killings for a return, he "didn't seem to entertain the calls." The dynamic changed only when WWE President Nick Khan personally took over the negotiations. It was noted that it is "rare that Nick Khan gets involved in negotiations." The higher-up emphasized that "this one was important to the company and locker room." Bringing Killings back was viewed internally as a "good sign that the roster and fan response being listened to overcame everything else." Unsurprisingly, the WWE roster is said to be "ecstatic" about his return. The report also states that when other talent asked Killings or WWE management directly, they were told the situation was not a work. This aligns with comments from people close to his family, who indicated the new deal was finalized very late in the week. The shift to using his real name, Ron Killings, is also part of the new direction. A source in WWE management noted that Killings "had indicated in the past that he wanted to have at least more of a serious run in-ring before ending his career." His value was clear, as promotions like TNA and GCW were immediately interested in booking him upon news of his availability. This leverage likely contributed to the urgency of WWE's efforts to re-sign him. More WWE News: For more on WWE, head to Newsweek Sports.
Newsweek
06-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Newsweek
Released WWE Star R-Truth Has Strong Interest From Top Promotion: Report
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. The recent WWE departure of beloved veteran R-Truth was reportedly a financial decision made by the company. According to Dave Meltzer in the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter, R-Truth's contract was so high that for the level they were using him they felt it made no sense to renew it. This news surprised some. He had literally just come off a program that led to a high-profile match with WWE Champ John Cena at Saturday Night's Main Event. Meltzer reported that the news of his exit was met with significant unhappiness within the WWE locker room. There were a lot of wrestlers who were very unhappy because he was so popular with the talent. WWE fans also voiced their support, with chants for R-Truth on the June 2nd episode of Raw after his departure became public. The situation was reportedly handled carefully backstage. Meltzer noted, "Talent was reportedly told no R-Truth T-shirts on Raw, but Rhea Ripley was wearing one backstage and took it off before going on TV." INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 06: R-Truth attends Netflix's Debut of WWE Monday Night Raw at Intuit Dome on January 06, 2025 in Inglewood, California INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 06: R-Truth attends Netflix's Debut of WWE Monday Night Raw at Intuit Dome on January 06, 2025 in Inglewood, California More news: WWE News: Steve Austin Reveals Real-Life Vince McMahon Confrontation Looking ahead, a return to a former home could be in the cards for R-Truth. Meltzer stated that those in TNA have already said that they want to make him an offer, and for that company, he'll come in fairly hot. This would mark a significant homecoming for the star. Truth had a historic run in TNA from 2002 to 2007 between his WWE stints. Wrestling as Ron "The Truth" Killings, he became a main event player in TNA. In August 2002, he made history by defeating Ken Shamrock to become the first-ever recognized African-American NWA World Heavyweight Champion. It was a title he would go on to hold a second time. During his TNA tenure, he also showcased his charisma as a founding member of the popular 3Live Kru faction alongside Konnan and B.G. James (formerly Road Dogg in WWE). TNA is where he also held tag team gold. His time in TNA featured a more serious and aggressive persona compared to the comedic character he later perfected in his second, lengthy WWE run. It would also give him a chance to return to WWE if he so wanted to do so one day as TNA and WWE have a working relationship. More WWE News: For more on WWE, head to Newsweek Sports.
