Hendry vs Darkstate 😃, Gorilla vs A Genetic Freak 🦍, Rhyno to AEW 🦏

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Wednesday, May 7th, 2025

Good morning. Today we revisit WrestleWar '89, where Ric Flair capped off a legendary trilogy with Ricky Steamboat before being ambushed by Terry Funk in a moment that kicked off their iconic feud. Over on NXT, Jordynne Grace and Myles Borne punched their tickets to Battleground, Trick Williams and Joe Hendry’s rivalry escalated, and Zaria speared Kelani Jordan clean through a barricade. Plus, Lyra Valkyria opens up about her WrestleMania heartbreak, ECW legend Rhino heads to AEW, Scott Steiner breaks down gorilla math, and much more. Let’s dig in!

(Also, for all my 😸 people!)

🗓️ On This Day in WWE - 1989

Flair Wins the Gold, Funk Brings the Pain

36 years ago today, the NWA presented WrestleWar ’89: Music City Showdown live from Nashville, Tennessee. In the main event, Ric Flair defeated Ricky Steamboat to reclaim the NWA World Heavyweight Championship in the epic conclusion of their legendary trilogy. Though it placed second in the Wrestling Observer’s 1989 Match of the Year rankings, the bout remains a classic. Post-match, Terry Funk—serving as a ringside judge—shocked everyone by attacking Flair and piledriving him through a table, igniting their brutal summer feud.

WWE NXT Results (May 5th, 2025)
Full Match Results & Highlights

WWE NXT aired live from the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida, as championship contenders were crowned ahead of Battleground and tension flared across multiple rivalries. Jordynne Grace secured her title shot against Stephanie Vaquer, Myles Borne pulled off a surprise battle royal win, and Trick Williams and Joe Hendry continued their collision course.

Darkstate def. Hank & Tank and Joe Hendry. The trio of Hendry, Hank Walker, and Tank Ledger had momentum early, but Trick Williams ran in and brawled with Hendry to the back, leaving Hank and Tank at a disadvantage. Darkstate took advantage and pinned Ledger with their triple powerbomb. Backstage, Ava Raine later informed Hendry that he’ll defend the TNA World Title against Trick at Battleground, with a contract signing set for next week.

Zaria def. Kelani Jordan. Jordan hit a tornado DDT and grazed Zaria with an Asai moonsault, but a mid-match distraction involving Sol Ruca led to Zaria spearing Kelani through the barricade. Back inside, Zaria finished things with her F-5. Earlier, Thea Hail gave Karmen Petrovic a pep talk before Jaida Parker interrupted and challenged Petrovic to a match.

Myles Borne won a 25-man battle royal to become #1 contender to the NXT Championship. Elijah (fka Elias) kicked things off with a guitar promo before joining the fray. Trick Williams racked up eliminations until Joe Hendry’s music hit, leading to Trick’s elimination by Elijah. In the final sequence, Borne outlasted Ethan Page and Shawn Spears to earn the title shot.

Jaida Parker def. Karmen Petrovic. After Petrovic hit a diving Sling Blade and corner offense, Parker caught her with a hip attack for the win. Post-match, she tried to attack again but accidentally knocked Thea Hail off the apron, allowing Petrovic to fend her off. Later, Parker was seen celebrating and mocking Hail’s attempt to intervene.

Jordynne Grace def. Giulia to become #1 contender to the NXT Women’s Championship. Grace used her power advantage, surviving a Michinoku Driver and STO from Giulia. She hit a superplex rolled into a Jackhammer, then landed the Grace Driver for the win. Stephanie Vaquer came down post-match and faced off with Grace to close the show.

🔮 AEW Dynamite Preview (May 7th, 2025)
Full Match Card and Lineup

Live Tonight, 8pm EST on MAX & TBS

• Samoa Joe vs. Claudio Castagnoli

• The Young Bucks and Ricochet vs. Swerve Strickland, Speedball Mike Bailey and Mark Briscoe

• Jamie Hayter sit-down interview with Renee Paquette

Latest WWE News, Rumors & Updates

🔥 WWE RAW 5/5/2025: 3 Things We Hated And 3 Things We Loved

Wrestling Inc. reviews the 5/5/2025 episode of WWE Raw, highlighting three loves and hates each. Highlights include Paul Heyman's questionable handling of Bron Breakker, the unexpected brilliance of a Becky Lynch vs. Lyra Valkyria feud, and questions around Rusev's return opponent. The article also applauds Roxanne Perez and Giulia for their invasions from NXT, criticizes Pat McAfee's promo against GUNTHER, and finds joy in the messy, yet entertaining main event featuring Jey Uso and Seth Rollins.

🎸 Elias returns to NXT, as TNA’s Elijah

Elias made a surprise appearance on NXT this week under his TNA alias, Elijah. Armed with his guitar, he dived right into the thick of things, kicking off a brawl with Ethan Page for a shot at the NXT championship in a 25-man over-the-top-rope battle royal. 'I saw a friend in need, kinda like Trick Willy So I decided to come to NXT TNA, we walk this way I got one more thing to say NXT — walk with me' he strummed. His return was received warmly by the Performance Center audience, leaving us wondering whether this is a one-off appearance or a more permanent return.

💥 2 WWE Stars Heading To AAA Despite Previous Exclusion

Angel and Berto from WWE are set to appear at AAA's Triplemania Regia event, despite being previously overlooked for WWE shows in their home city of Monterrey. 'The other names being sent are the Hardy brothers and Joe Hendry, which tells you about the relationship with TNA and WWE,' notes Dave Meltzer. AAA originally hoped to include Penta, Fenix, Rey Mysterio, Dominik Mysterio, and Chad Gable, but Rey Mysterio is out due to injury. Meanwhile, WWE has reportedly re-signed Alberto Del Rio.

🎬 Update On Length Of Liv Morgan's WWE Absence

Liv Morgan's WWE hiatus may not be as long as feared. She's currently in Japan filming 'Bad Lieutenant: Tokyo', with filming for her part expected to wrap up by May 16. While it's unclear when she'll return to 'WWE Raw', she's set to miss at least one episode. Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez, the current WWE Women's Tag Team Champions, have recently defended their title against Gigi Dolin and Tatum Paxley on 'WWE NXT'.

Latest AEW News, Rumors & Updates

🦏 ECW legend set to debut with AEW in Detroit this week

Detroit gets ready for a treat as ECW legend and WWE veteran, Rhyno, is all set to make his AEW debut this week. The Man-Beast, also the next challenger for the NWA Worlds Heavyweight title, is expected to appear in AEW's Dynamite and Collision shows. While Rhyno's tenure with AEW is uncertain, fans are hopeful he will stay at least through their late August-through-early September residency at the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia.

🥇 AEW Star Blasts Hulk Hogan After He Got Their Name Wrong

Hulk Hogan continues to stir controversy, this time misnaming AEW star Shelton Benjamin as 'Benjamin Shelton' during an interview. Benjamin didn't take it lightly, issuing a scathing response on social media. 'Message to @HulkHogan. You lost me forever with your “don’t get caught” …or as you would call it “apology” speech. So rather than screw up my name... Please do me a favor & Keep my name out of your f*cking mouth.' The incident triggered further criticism, with Becky Lynch branding Hogan 'scummiest person on Earth'.

🪓 AEW Tag Team Cut From Company’s Roster

In the recent wave of roster cuts, AEW has let go of a few names, including The Righteous tag team, Dutch and Vincent. PWInsider confirms the duo exited the company at the end of April. Their most significant match was challenging MJF for the ROH Tag Team Championship at WrestleDream in 2023. Their last Ring of Honor match was in April 2025. The company also removed Sarah Stock as a coach.

Top Wrestling Reddit Threads

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