Aaron Rift, Author at NoDQ.com: WWE and AEW Coverage

Cody Rhodes addresses rumor that he pitched losing the WWE Title to Drew McIntyre in early 2026

Aaron Rift — Sun, 01 Nov 2026 19:47:22 +0000

WWE star Cody Rhodes did an interview with Zach Hirsch of Double Coverage. During the discussion, Cody Rhodes discussed internet rumors and criticism that WWE receives…

“I’m sure it’ll be misunderstood, but I went on this whole kick of trying to explain that there are certain things you never want to say. You never want to say, ‘Well, that’s not real.’ You never want to say, ‘Oh, that’s a small percentage,’ because I don’t want to dismiss a fan and their opinion. If they hate you, they hate you. If they think you’re fat, they think you’re fat. If they think you suck, they think you suck. There’s no wrong way to be a fan.

But what I can say is the conversations that take place on, say, X specifically, they only take place there. If you could just take that one step back, get out of your bubble and look at the product, none of this is real. You don’t know any of these guys personally. They’re a business that needs content on a daily basis. These stories are wildly made up.

Here’s how I knew it had gotten crazy. There was a story that I had pitched to lose the title [to Drew McIntyre], and now I saw somebody referencing this. It was like eight months ago. They were saying, ‘Well, don’t forget when he pitched it.’ If you ever hear a story of a wrestler pitching to lose the title, you should know right out of the gate they’re lying. There’s a difference between an old man figuring out who his last opponent is, but no wrestler has ever said, ‘Yeah, I want to lose the title.’ My gosh, that’s the meal ticket. You never want somebody to take it from you. Don’t pitch it.

I saw that being talked about as if it was actual evidence, and I thought, ‘Oh, man, I wish you knew.’ You know, I wish you guys knew that these conversations are just here. They’re just here. Come to a show. Come to a show, and you will see.

Oh, people are having a great time. They love all of it.”

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2026 NoDQ.com Hall of Fame poll for Male Superstar

Aaron Rift — Sun, 01 Nov 2026 18:31:49 +0000

Voting is now open for the 2026 NoDQ.com Hall of Fame in the Male Superstar category. Cast your votes through the month of November and please spread the word!

Click here for the full list of NoDQ Hall of Fame inductees.

PollMaker

The post 2026 NoDQ.com Hall of Fame poll for Male Superstar appeared first on NoDQ.com: WWE and AEW Coverage.

Big Cass responds to internet speculation about his push in WWE

Aaron Rift — Sun, 01 Nov 2026 14:02:40 +0000

Shortly after returning to WWE, Big Cass began a losing streak against Je’Von Evans at live events. He later suffered additional losses to Rey Mysterio and Dragon Lee on television. During an appearance on The Sal Licata Show, Cass addressed online speculation about his push in WWE.

“It’s funny. I just talked to Hunter [Triple H] about all this the other day, just what you’re talking about with the dirt sheets and everything.

I’m coming back with the attitude that I’m here to do business. I fell short of my own expectations as a professional the first time. I’m coming back to do business. I’m coming back to do things right. Whatever the company needs is what they’re going to get out of me.

Whether the company needs me to come out first every night and open the show, that’s what they’re going to get 100% of. If they need me to close the show, they’re going to get 100%. If they need me to do the popcorn match, they’re going to get 100%. I’m there to do the best that I can with what they’re giving me and what they see in me.

So, whatever the dirt sheets or important dirt sheet writers who don’t work in the company have to say, their opinion is their opinion. Everyone’s always looking for a story, and negativity sells. Positivity never sells. You’re always going to want to read about someone messing up over someone doing something really great. The negativity sells, and I’m sure it gets clicked.

So, I’m there to do the best that I can with what I’m given and the position Hunter is putting me in. We’ll see where that goes. I’m just here for the ride, baby. I’m here to take this ride, do things right this time, put my head down, work hard, and do the best that I can with what I’m given and what’s expected of me. We’ll see where things go.”

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Former WWE star Matt Riddle says Vince McMahon was a better boss than Triple H

Aaron Rift — Sun, 01 Nov 2026 13:06:32 +0000

Former WWE star Matt Riddle did an interview with That Sweet Pop podcast. Here is an excerpt from the discussion…

That Sweet Pop: “You’ve worked for Dana White, Vince McMahon, Paul Levesque [Triple H], and Shawn Michaels. Three or four of the biggest names in the business. Out of those people, who do you like the most? Who was the best boss?”

Riddle: “You know, I’m big on brutal honesty when it comes to bosses. For me, out of all of them, Vince was the best boss. If he didn’t like something you did, he didn’t wait. He didn’t say, ‘Good work.’ He told you right to your face that you messed up and needed to fix it, or you weren’t going to be there much longer. And you adapt, right?”

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Photos: WWE star Nikkita Lyons shows off her Tinker Bell fairy-themed Halloween costume

Aaron Rift — Sun, 01 Nov 2026 11:49:38 +0000

WWE star Nikkita Lyons showed off a Tinker Bell-themed Halloween costume and dance video across her social media platforms in late October 2026. The post gained attention on platforms including Twitter/X, TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook.

The post Photos: WWE star Nikkita Lyons shows off her Tinker Bell fairy-themed Halloween costume appeared first on NoDQ.com: WWE and AEW Coverage.

CM Punk to challenge Grayson Waller for the WWE NXT Title against AEW Dynamite’s Blood & Guts

Aaron Rift — Sun, 01 Nov 2026 02:10:32 +0000

During the 2026 WWE NXT Halloween Havoc PLE, Grayson Waller retained the NXT Championship against Tony D’Angelo. Following the match, Danhausen introduced CM Punk on the big screen. Punk had the following message…

“Grayson Waller. Up here, bud. Pay attention, because you’ve been running your mouth about me specifically for weeks, saying I need to ask you permission to come into your house because you run NXT. Well, I’ve waited patiently, and I wanted to see how you and Tony would shake out. Now that you’re still NXT Champion, buddy, hold on to that belt tight because I’m coming November 4th. It is CM Punk versus Grayson Waller for the NXT title. And you say that NXT is your house? Kid, I’m the landlord, and Wednesday the rent is due.”

Wednesday’s NXT will also feature appearances from John Cena and Cody Rhodes. The show will be going head-to-head with the Blood & Guts edition of AEW Dynamite.

PUNK VS WALLER @CMPunk challenges @GraysonWWE for the NXT Title NEXT WEDNESDAY on #WWENXT! pic.twitter.com/GjU3tgPBgp

— WWE (@WWE) November 1, 2026

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Jake Roberts: “Tony Khan needs to loosen up the reins a little bit, take some advice”

Aaron Rift — Sat, 31 Oct 2026 20:49:13 +0000

WWE Hall of Famer Jake Roberts did an interview with Nick Teodoro. Here are the highlights…

His current life: “Staying busy. Not in AEW anymore. I re-signed with WWE, doing some stuff for them, and just enjoying life, man.

AEW’s creative direction: “Tony Khan needs to loosen up the reins a little bit, take some advice. He’s got a good product. He’s got a lot of talent in there. I think his talent could be used better. I loved working for Tony Khan. He’s a sweet guy.”

Working with Lance Archer: “It was a perfect pairing, man. We had everything that we needed. And he is such an unbelievable talent. He has never gotten the break he deserves. He really hasn’t. It’s a damn shame.”

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Former WWE star Darren Young announces his return to NXT in a new role

Aaron Rift — Sat, 31 Oct 2026 19:39:08 +0000

Former WWE star Darren Young (Fred Rosser) posted the following message to his Twitter/X account…

“Nine years ago today, I was released from WWE. Today, I’m back at WWE NXT, fighting back tears of joy every time I pull up to the Performance Center and grateful for the opportunity to give back to the next generation. I’m always hearing what WWE is looking for NOW I’m able to see it for myself and be a sponge in this environment.

I once stood in this environment, beating on my craft alongside incredible coaches, and quickly made my way to the main roster. Now, I’m back sharing those experiences and helping shape the future.

And when you talk about NXT, don’t forget the ORIGINAL NXT! MR. NO DAYS OFF baby! Nine years later, still standing, still inspiring, and STILL NO DAYS OFF! WWE, thank you for the opportunity. You know what time it is? IT’S TIME TO GO TO WORK!”

Nine years ago today, I was released from @WWE. Today, I’m back at @wwenxt, fighting back tears of joy every time I pull up to the Performance Center and grateful for the opportunity to give back to the next generation. I’m always hearing what WWE is looking for NOW I’m able to… pic.twitter.com/shoUEe7X30

— nodaysoff FRED ROSSER III (@realfredrosser) October 31, 2026

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Kelani Jordan says WWE NXT “is a women’s wrestling show”

Aaron Rift — Sat, 31 Oct 2026 18:01:27 +0000

During an interview with Going Ringside, WWE NXT women’s champion Kelani Jordan commented on the state of NXT in 2026. Kelani stated the following…

“Well, NXT is still popping. I always like to say NXT is a women’s wrestling show. Again, I could be biased, but the women’s wrestlers are literally dominating the scene. But also, our men’s division is awesome. We got Grayson Waller to come back. Of course, he took the title, but I just believe we have a lot of different-style athletes. We have people who are high flyers, people who are more power-based, and people who are more submission or mat wrestlers. So, I think it’s just a really well-rounded scene.

I love having Grayson around because when Grayson came back to NXT, he put over the women’s division, saying that we were killing it. If I was a guy on the roster, I would absolutely hate Grayson. But he did say some nice things about the women, which you don’t really get nice things out of Grayson often, so I’ll take it when I can.”

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Photos: Paige shows off her Thirteen Ghosts look for Halloween 2026

Aaron Rift — Sat, 31 Oct 2026 17:10:02 +0000

Paige revealed her 2026 Halloween costume on October 31st, dressing as the Angry Princess from the 2001 horror film Thirteen Ghosts. She recreated the character’s appearance with bloody cuts, a bathroom setting, and the kitchen knife associated with the character. Paige also included a recognizable line from the movie in her social media post:

“We have ten minutes until the ectoplasmic shit hits the fan Happy Halloween ”

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