Sami Zayn Archives - NoDQ.com: WWE and AEW Coverage

NoDQ Review 411: Are Sami Zayn and Will Opsreay delivering as world champions?

Aaron Rift — Tue, 27 Oct 2026 18:17:57 +0000

Is Sami Zayn cutting it as WWE Champion? We break down the pros and cons of his title reign and whether he’s the right person to carry WWE’s top championship.

Plus, is Will Ospreay delivering as AEW World Champion? We discuss the strengths and weaknesses of his run and whether he’s the right choice to lead AEW.

The post NoDQ Review 411: Are Sami Zayn and Will Opsreay delivering as world champions? appeared first on NoDQ.com: WWE and AEW Coverage.

Sami Zayn comments on winning the WWE Title after years of being an underdog character

Aaron Rift — Tue, 27 Oct 2026 11:15:19 +0000

During an interview with Chris Van Vliet, Sami Zayn commented on winning the WWE Title after years of being an underdog character. Here is what Zayn had to say…

“Here’s the thing that’s funny about it: even at the start of this year, which was nine months ago, ten months ago now, whatever, I was wrestling Drew [McIntyre], and I didn’t win. I had kind of just battled with it and went, ‘You know what? Maybe the ship sailed.’

I was real close a couple of years ago with all the Bloodline stuff and all that, and even in the fallout of that, I was close. But if I lost after losing that match, I was like, ‘Well, you can’t tell this story again.’ Maybe it’ll happen in some different way, and it did happen in a bit of a different way.

But the Cinderella story, the underdog who finally wins the big one—we burned that card. That card was done after losing to Drew because you can only tell that story so many times. You can get them on board once, twice, three times, and it wasn’t the right time. It wasn’t. I didn’t have the momentum that I had a year or two prior to that.

But I had to kind of struggle to accept that maybe I just missed the window, slipped through the cracks, and it just won’t happen. I’ve said this before in other interviews, or to friends, or my wife, or whatever. I’ve had a tremendous career, and winning the world title at that point is just the cherry on top. It would be nice to have, but it’s not like if I never win it, it’s like I never got it. You know what I mean? You don’t live and die by these things. You kind of just got to look at the big picture.

I don’t think anything changed, and that’s actually the point. It’s that I kept doing what I do, which is making sure that everything I’m involved in is as good as it could possibly be.

Eventually, a lot has to happen, even when you’re doing good work and you’re great and all this stuff, to win the WWE Championship. It is like there is no such thing as a fluke win. I know when I won it the first time and it was nine days, in character, you could say I was a fluke. There’s no such thing as a fluke WWE title win.

To even be in the periphery of it is insane. To even be in the mix, to even be in the discussion, to even have title matches, even if you’re losing them, is extremely one in a billion already, to be put in that position. So to win it, there’s an immeasurable number of variables that are required to be in that position. So there’s no such thing as a fluke WWE title win.

So I just think kind of slow and steady wins the race. You keep doing good work, and then it’s timing, and that’s the thing that a lot of people don’t account for. There are so many variables that are out of your control. Of course, you control what you can control, but there are so many variables that are just not yours to play with.

And I think timing ended up being the deciding factor, obviously on the day of or whatever, right place, right time, right variables going into it, all that. But also, you have to work really, really hard and have this crazy level of consistency to constantly be even in the mix.”

Thanks to ChrisVanVliet.com for the quote.

The post Sami Zayn comments on winning the WWE Title after years of being an underdog character appeared first on NoDQ.com: WWE and AEW Coverage.

MR. TITO: WWE Wrestlers Need to Stand Up to Greedy TKO Management and REFUSE to Perform at WWE Crown Jewel

Mr. Tito — Thu, 15 Oct 2026 20:14:57 +0000

Years ago, comedian George Carlin spoke about how the rich and elite purposely help politicians stoke social issues so that lower and middle class folks can remain mad about that versus the massive income inequality in our country. Why are they doing that? As George Carlin put it, “there are more of us than there are of them” and so thus, it’s in the interest of richer folk to keep lower/middle class workers distracted with social issues so that they don’t revolt.

Same premise, minus the social issue distraction… But for both Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), there exists more fighters hurting themselves in the octagon and more wrestlers tanking bumps in and outside of the ring than there are TKO executives. MMA fighters and pro wrestlers don’t realize how much leverage they truly have, especially household name wrestlers who don’t have their careers dictated by actual wins or losses like UFC fighters.

Thus, when your TKO executives still want you to fly to and wrestle at Saudi Arabia for the WWE Crown Jewel event, the wrestlers could band together and REFUSE TO PERFORM. What could TKO do if ever WWE superstar grouped together and refused to be sent in an area of severe danger.

You know, like Saudi Arabia where the Houthis have recently attacked oil pipelines and the airport in Riyadh, home of both WWE Crown Jewel and 2027’s Wrestlemania 43.

The very airport that WWE superstars will arrive at was attacked. On October 10th and 11th, multiple strikes occurred that caused up to 14 people killed and a reported 300 who were wounded by the blasts. That is dangerous…

One would think, “the United States will protect WWE from harm”. Wait, isn’t Saudi Arabia a massive ally of the United States and also a bigtime trading partner? Wasn’t the entire premise of 1990-1991’s Desert Storm to protect the possibility of Saudi Arabia being invaded after Iraq invaded Kuwait? Saudi is a major investor in United States businesses, too.

I wouldn’t quite guarantee safety… Yes, the United States still has one of the most superior militaries in the world and has the biggest missile stock, but we’re in a day and age where drones and other types of missiles can be launched or fired from mobile sites. This is a different type of warfare, but I’d also argue a different type of combatant, too. It’s one thing when you’re up against a ruthless dictator, but it’s another matter when their dictator is also another the highest ranking religious cleric. When you’re willing to die in the name of your religion, no other Fs will be given about human life.

The Middle East has been a dangerous place for decades, and United States involvement with Israel, the 1953 Iranian coup, placing bases throughout the Middle East, and fighting multiple wars, unjust or not, has made the region feel an anti-American sentiment. Iran has had issues with the United States since the 1953 coup that overthrew an elected leader and it’s been rocky relations with us ever since in that region. Then, since June of last year and especially since late February if this year, the United States has engaged in serious military strikes against Iran that saw their leadership destroyed and martyred. In return, Iran has ramped up its own attacks against any Middle Eastern country favorable to the United States, including Saudi Arabia, and has encouraged any proxy group to attack on their behalf, like the Houthis located in Yemen which is South of Saudi Arabia.

They attacked the airport… Where is the seriousness by TKO executives about this situation?

Nope, gotta protect that massive Saudi Arabia deal that guarantees $25 to $30 million per regular event, while paying WWE $100 million for Royal Rumble 2026 and $250 million for Wrestlemania 43.

What the TKO and/or Endeavor/Silver Lake folks think about is how the TKO stock could tank if WWE has to move locations of those Premium Live Events (PLE). Meanwhile, they aren’t thinking of the total disaster TKO could have if, and I pray this would never happened, is if the Crown Jewel event is hit with an attack. In addition to the WWE wrestlers, losing Saudi Arabia fans would be a tragedy as well. Any loss of life would be a tragedy. By still having Crown Jewel in Saudi Arabia, WWE is placing its own wrestlers, production staff, and fans from Saudi Arabia at risk.

These are serious times and we need serious leadership to make decisions that protects lives.

So far, TKO has said nothing about moving the event…

And that proves what a joke TKO and its executives truly are.

All of these revenues generated from massive TV deals, Saudi Arabia, and severely price gouging WWE fans for live events and merchandise, yet TKO has the NERVE to ask its performers to take a 50% paycut and/or be terminated. Meanwhile, if you look at TKO’s proxy statements, its executives are pulling in the big bucks by sitting in a boardroom while their performers take the punishment inside and outside of the ring.

Right now, WWE’s World Champions are guaranteed to be there, with Roman Reigns vs. Sami Zayn and Liv Morgan vs. Chelsea Green with other matches to be determined later.

Those 4, alone, should go to WWE and TKO’s management and outright REFUSE to perform at this event due to safety concerns.

Now, we all know that Roman Reigns will likely get private jet treatment to transport to the event and that usually occurs at a different part of the airport or in a secure location. Each of the wrestlers, at minimum, should demand equal treatment. Again, the airport in Riyadh was attacked…

But if Roman Reigns values his own life and wants to cement the respect of the entire WWE locker room, he should take a stand and demand the event be moved. Sure, WWE might lose $20-$30 million this time, but Roman and the entire roster will be alive on November 7th to perform somewhere in America. World Title vs. World Title matches will draw here in the United States, and thus, WWE and TKO won’t lose that much money. Then, 6 months later, you can re-assess Wrestlemania 43.

There’s just too much danger in this region and lots of anti-American sentiment per recent foreign policy decisions on top of decades of things bubbling in the Middle East. It wasn’t safe before 2025 or 2026 and even Saudi Arabia, itself, had issues with its culture to be a questionable place to host WWE events. Again, think about that plane ride where WWE superstars weren’t allowed to leave the country for over 1 day or think about how female WWE wrestlers have to look when wrestling at their events. Saudi aside, the hostilities of neighboring countries has always created risks for WWE hosting events there and that was probably part of the premium that gave WWE $20-$30 million per event and pricing in $100 million for Rumble 2026 and $250 million for Wrestlemania 43.

This airport strike changes the game… Way too close to where Crown Jewel and eventually Wrestlemania 43 will be.

Safety first, as a WWE event could be a major target with it being a major American brand.

The TKO executives should be ashamed of themselves for not already moving the Crown Jewel event.

If Saudi right now is so safe, then the TKO executives and their full extended families should all attend the event to make a point. Come on, if life is so precious, then prove it by placing your entire family on a plane and sitting in that arena while chaos is happening in that region. Lead by example instead of continuing to siphon funds as fat cat executives while the wrestlers continue to bump and wrestle in dangerous environments.

And for the record, I’ve been consistent on protecting wrestler safety as noted in my column on September 22nd after the Houthis hit the oil pipeline and when the United States issued a travel advisory. Crazy how much things have escalated since.

Wrestlers HAVE THE LEVERAGE because without them, there are no events. The top wrestlers (Roman, Cody, Punk, etc.) need to protect the entire roster and join them in standing up to the clowncar known as TKO executive team who only cares about making themselves rich. The reason why WWE has never unionized is because top stars buddy up to WWE management and are essentially paid more money to be the best company men possible. Hulk Hogan ratted out Jesse Ventura when he tried to unionize before Wrestlemania 2, and Vince since took care of the top guys while thinking the midcarders were disposable.

Well, now this isn’t about unionizing. This is about safety and being potential political and religious targets in a region that has been violent. Stand up to the arrogant TKO management and protect your co-workers from harm’s way! REFUSE to perform at WWE Crown Jewel!!!!!

Remember, WWE wrestlers… There are more of you than there are of them (TKO executives).

Mr. Tito Column Archive @ NoDQ

The post MR. TITO: WWE Wrestlers Need to Stand Up to Greedy TKO Management and REFUSE to Perform at WWE Crown Jewel appeared first on NoDQ.com: WWE and AEW Coverage.

Backstage news regarding the awkward finish of Sami Zayn vs. Kevin Owens from WWE SmackDown

Aaron Rift — Sun, 20 Sep 2026 01:59:20 +0000

As seen during the September 18th 2026 edition of SmackDown, Sami Zayn defended the WWE Championship against Kevin Owens. After CM Punk struck Owens with the title, Zayn made the cover. The referee counted to three, but the match continued. Zayn then hit Owens with a Helluva Kick and pinned him again, this time officially ending the match.

Pinfall botch during Sami Zayn vs. Kevin Owens WWE Title match pic.twitter.com/lKhCbDE12O

— WrestleFeed (@WrestleFeedApp) September 19, 2026

Fightful.com noted the following about the situation…

“In speaking to WWE sources about the Kevin Owens vs. Sami Zayn match, they claimed to Fightful that Owens was never supposed to kick out after the belt shot. The match was to end after that, but after the ref didn’t call for the bell, the finish had to be changed.”

Referee Brian Hebner gave his thoughts on what happened via Twitter/X…

“First of all it’s not a botch and it’s not the referees fault in this situation. He actually did exactly what he was suppose to do! Don’t kick, keep counting #123”

The post Backstage news regarding the awkward finish of Sami Zayn vs. Kevin Owens from WWE SmackDown appeared first on NoDQ.com: WWE and AEW Coverage.

Jonathan Coachman on Sami Zayn: “Not everybody’s made to be a world champion”

Aaron Rift — Fri, 18 Sep 2026 11:36:14 +0000

In a video published to social media, former WWE personality Jonathan Coachman reacted to Sami Zayn becoming WWE Champion again. When a fan accused Coachman of “hating” Zayn’s success, Coachman issued the following response…

“Okay, I will keep trying to engage when I see something.

This is the problem a lot of you have. You think I have an issue with his success. You clearly don’t know anything about how storylines and intrigue are done in wrestling. I speak from a place of being in the meetings for thousands of shows.

It’s about perception. If you want people to believe in someone or something, it has to make sense. If The Rock was six feet tall and 200 pounds, being called ‘The Rock’ wouldn’t make any sense.

There is a reason there are lower titles because not everybody is made to be a world champion. So instead of just reading headlines, actually listen to what we say on our shows. It has nothing to do with anyone or anybody’s success. I want everybody to be successful.

It’s a very small business. I want Sammy to be successful. I don’t know him personally, but this is about putting together a show with characters that are believable in that space. That’s it.”

Ok I will keep trying to engage when I see something. This is the problem a lot of you have. You think I have an issue with his success. You clearly don’t know anything about how storylines and intrigue is done in wrestling. I speak from a place of being in the meetings for… https://t.co/HfADsc3UOF

— The Coach (@Thecoachrules) September 17, 2026

The post Jonathan Coachman on Sami Zayn: “Not everybody’s made to be a world champion” appeared first on NoDQ.com: WWE and AEW Coverage.

Smoke Break Psychology: The Lost Art of Criticism

That Donnie — Mon, 14 Sep 2026 21:36:48 +0000

Anyone who has read my stuff knows my “gimmick.”

I put that in quotation marks because, while it is a gimmick in the sense that I present it as part of my column persona, it is also real. I truly do smoke a bowl, let some of my anxieties and mental-health issues fade into the background, get myself into a better headspace, and write.

I do not have to express it the way I do in these columns. I use it for flair. It gives me a through line—the kind they taught us about in creative-writing classes—to add coherence and keep people interested.

But for one column, let’s drop all of that.

No gimmicks. No character. No filter.

This is not That Donnie, TD, or any of those versions of me.

This is the man behind the mask.

I struggle with writing columns sometimes. Not because I lack content or ideas. I have a plethora of ideas sitting in my Keep Notes. I have a small handful of finished columns waiting to be edited, proofread, and organized in my cloud storage. And I have even more ideas tucked away in what could be called my mind palace—if you know, you know.

The issue for me is always this:

What is part of the problem, and what is part of the solution?

I try to hide behind gimmicks and clever writing techniques, but the truth is that I reveal plenty of myself in my writing. I wear my proverbial heart on my sleeve. So, for a brief moment, I want to provide some insight into who I am.

Not to preach. Not to climb onto a high horse. Not to proselytize.

Just to provide some understanding.

On the surface, I probably come across as a laid-back, modern-day hippie. In a lot of ways, I suppose that is accurate. But at my core, I identify as a Bahá’í.

I know most of you may not know what that means, and even fewer of you are going to Google it, so here is the brief version.

The Bahá’í Faith began in Persia in the mid-1800s. At its core is a simple belief: unity.

Bahá’ís believe there is one God and that religion is progressive. Abraham, Moses, Muhammad, Jesus, Krishna, Zoroaster, Buddha, the Báb, Bahá’u’lláh, and many others are all seen as divine messengers. The belief is that they taught the same essential truths, but each brought the message humanity could understand and needed for its particular time, culture, and stage of development.

Another central teaching is that science and religion are the two wings of one bird. They must work together. Anything in religion that directly contradicts science is superstition.

There is much more to it than that, but the word that always comes back around is unity.

The whole hippie idea that we are one human race and should work toward unity rather than division is deeply prevalent in the faith. We should embrace our differences while also putting them aside when the greater good calls for it.

And when unity is the key teaching, anything that creates division or invites judgment has to be approached with caution. If I am standing back, judging people, and taking part in the same forces that drive division, then I am not working toward unity.

That is how I try to approach daily life.

I am not saying I am a pacifist, because I am not. Ask anyone: if you push my buttons, I have a fierce temper. But I try to be careful about what I put into the world. I try to ask myself:

Will this create something positive or negative?

Is this meant to spark positive change or positive thought?

Or will my words and actions create more division and feed into a world already divided over damn near everything imaginable?

One path can give something back, even if it is only making one person’s day a little better or a little easier.

The other serves no purpose beyond a brief dopamine hit—instant gratification that gets thrown out into the world and leaves everyone wanting more.

That is where I struggle with writing a wrestling column.

Take Tito, for example. How often do we see the same braggadocious behavior?

“My columns get the most clicks.”
“I have the most engagement.”

Maybe he does. Maybe he does not.

But why does it need to be quantified?

If a piece of writing is good, and it truly says something that can be defended—something that is not clickbait—then it should stand on its own. It should not need to be constantly measured and advertised.

Read those columns, though. Read the comments. The tone is often standoffish. The same tired arguments get rehashed again and again. I call them tired because they are the same points repeated endlessly, just polished up to look new with fad phrases and clickbait terminology.

The goal is not positive feedback or real discussion. The goal is to stoke the flames of discontent and division.

But can he really be blamed?

Because even when I do not write, I am part of the problem too.

I come here. I see a new Tito column. I read the headline. Before I ever click the link, I already know what I am in for.

Some bragging.

Everything getting pigeonholed into what our generation wanted to watch, without realizing our generation is closing in on 50 and the world is moving past us.

Blaming TKO.

And then, here is the key:

A few sentences designed specifically to generate comments.

Be a little controversial. Be standoffish. Be brash. Take a page from the current political landscape.

How many times have you, the reader, hit refresh on a Tito column’s comment section just to see who said what? To see who he is trolling now, or who is trolling him?

I hear the clicks.

They are not unique.

They are manufactured.

They are not earned.

Wrestling is not perfect. But let’s be real: nothing is.

As fans—scratch that, as human beings—we should always want better. We should always strive for progress. There is nothing wrong with criticism when it is rooted in wanting something to improve.

But let me offer an example.

“Greed” has been a Tito staple for a while now. TKO is pricing people out. TKO is raising ticket prices. TKO is making fans pay for Netflix, cable television through USA, ESPN, Peacock, and everything else just to keep up.

Then a title changes hands on free television, and suddenly there is outrage because it happened on free television. I thought people are supposedly being priced out?

Just because the new champion was not the choice of one writer, we have to pretend it is some great injustice?

Did you not, at least partially, get what you were asking for?

Then there is the question of cohesive storytelling.

For months, Johnny Gargano has been in a funk. For months, two men have tried to pull him out of it: CM Punk and Sami Zayn.

Anyone who cannot see the logical path toward Johnny becoming a heel stooge for Sami has not been paying attention to wrestling. It is Wrestling 101.

Nobody is saying Gargano suddenly needs to be a main-event-level world champion. He is a heel stooge. Do I really need to list all the heel stooges who have stood beside heel champions throughout wrestling history?

And Sami does not deserve the belt? Why not?

He is over as a heel. He does strong mic work. And as a heel, he does not need to have the same clean-cut, heroic presence as Cody Rhodes or CM Punk.

That is Wrestling 201: the face chasing the heel is almost always more compelling than the heel chasing the face.

Is it perfect? No.

But what would you do differently?

Criticism without solutions is just oral masturbation.

If engagement is the name of the game, and clicks and hits are what drive a website, then why not try to create engagement the right way?

So here is my challenge to you, the reader:

Make engagement matter.

Not just for trolling. Not just so I can cherry-pick questions that may or may not have been sent to me privately. If there is something you want me to write about—topics, questions, feuds, wrestlers, booking ideas, whatever—ask below.

Anything that gains traction through comments and likes, I will write about to the best of my ability. I will put my own spin on it, and I will try to make it worth your time.

Meanwhile, I do have a joint rolled and ready. Then I have to make a decision: do I work on the book I have been writing, or do I finish the book I have been reading?

Seriously, if you get a chance, read Tender Is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica. It is a great book. If you are that interested, hit me up. I may be able to hook you up.

Next time, I will try to get back into character.

I promise.

The post Smoke Break Psychology: The Lost Art of Criticism appeared first on NoDQ.com: WWE and AEW Coverage.

Some people within WWE were said to have been against Sami Zayn regaining the world title

Aaron Rift — Mon, 14 Sep 2026 12:57:54 +0000

As seen during the September 11th 2026 edition of WWE SmackDown, CM Punk lost the WWE Title to Sami Zayn. While speaking on Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer of F4WOnline.com discussed the title change. Here is what Meltzer had to say…

“With the Sami Zayn thing, the basic gist was—they have a storyline that will make sense when you look back on it, is what I was told. And when it’s all said and done, this will all make sense. There were certainly people who were against it, but they did it and that was that.”

If both men remain champions, Zayn will face his former Bloodline teammate, World Heavyweight Champion Roman Reigns, in a Champion vs. Champion match at WWE Crown Jewel in Saudi Arabia on Saturday, November 7th.

I AM THE WWE CHAMPION AGAIN pic.twitter.com/10lqcjBMpK

— Sami Zayn (@SamiZayn) September 13, 2026

The post Some people within WWE were said to have been against Sami Zayn regaining the world title appeared first on NoDQ.com: WWE and AEW Coverage.

MR. TITO: After Sami Zayn Won the WWE Title From CM Punk on Smackdown Last Night, I’m Done Defending WWE or Triple H

Mr. Tito — Sat, 12 Sep 2026 13:14:08 +0000

I’ve said for a while now that WWE may have peaked during 2023 and maybe through Wrestlemania 39, but the product stayed hot and ran on fumes through Wrestlemania 40 the next year. It’s not been the same WWE since Wrestlemania 40, especially, because Cody’s chase is over, Roman Reigns does NOT work as a babyface character, CM Punk becomes more corporate, and the next generation of wrestlers (Solo, Jacob, Bron, and maybe even Oba) just lack the impact or superstar power of the group they hope to replace.

BUT – I’ve attempted to defend the WWE that has existed since 2024… I’d rather watch 2024-2025 WWE than to watch almost any year since 2013 during the 2010s. I liked the John Cena 2025 Retirement tour, flaws and all. I think the match quality is higher with Triple H in charge, as Punk vs. Roman is my favorite match of the year as an example. Often, I’m calling out corporate meddling from TKO, who seem to be micro-managing the WWE exactly as Vince McMahon did during the mid to late 2010s (almost as if he’s calling shots through them).

However, I think that it’s officially time to stop defending this WWE machine, whether it’s TKO’s corporate meddling or Triple H lacking balls to take control of the company.

Last night, Sami Zayn won the WWE Title from CM Punk on a random episode of free WWE television known as Smackdown with the help of Johnny Gargano and Candice LeRae distracting and then Kevin Owens delivering an accidental blow to Punk with the title belt.

Now, I 100% get why Kevin Owens would be there and causing chaos, as he’s been feuding with CM Punk. Totally understandable.

But since when are we accustomed to FOREVER LOWER MIDCARDERS like Gargano and LeRae being inserted into the main event just looked cheap. I’m personally glad that both are receiving an opportunity to shine and wish them well, but them interfering looked cheap. This is different from members of the NWO or Bloodline interfering because they were established as members of a group and there to protect who actually had the world title. Gargano and LeRae haven’t been used or featured well in the WWE since they were called up from NXT and now, they are determining the outcome of a WWE Title match.

You know, the REAL World Championship, the one that has the original WWE lineage, the WCW lineage, and 2 separate brand splits.

And I’m even more sorry to say this, as I overall like this wrestler… But Sami Zayn as a two-time WWE Champion? Really?

I was happy for him winning it initially at the Saudi Arabia PLE, as it was a nice “lifetime achievement” award for his past contributions to the WWE. In my opinion, he made the Bloodline storyline better during 2022 and the drama surrounding his role fueled what I think is one of the best Wrestlemanias ever with #39 during 2023. Just watch that ending to Royal Rumble 2023 and attempt to admit that you didn’t feel something. We all did and it made us more addicted to the WWE that year.

Now, however, hotshotting the WWE Title to him during a random episode of Smackdown feels very “WCW during 2000”-ish to me. You know, when we had like 20 different title changes during that year. What, is Vince Russo now booking the Smackdown brand for the WWE?

It’s very likely that TKO, with maybe some nudging from NBC/Universal, is encouraging BIG THINGS to happen on WWE Smackdown because after all, viewership is BARELY hanging on to 1 million viewers hovering around 1.2 million lately. Folks, we’re in ECW on TNN and TNA Impact on Spike TV formerly TNN) viewership territory and they were 2nd or 3rd bananas in the competitive wrestling arms race.

BUT, we’re also in the territory of Triple H favoring his ex-NXT students… HHH was the one who inserted Sami Zayn into the Bloodline and that choice is significant because Sami was coming off his major loss to the Jackass crew at Wrestlemania 38. Remember him losing to that big mouse trap? Though Sami actually match an entertaining match out of that, he still lost yet HHH had his back and put him with the Bloodline to eventually go from losing to Johnny Knoxville at Wrestlemania 38 to headlining Night #1 of Wrestlemania 39 and winning the tag titles with Kevin Owens over the Usos in a major match of consequence.

HHH and HBK have ALWAYS had Johnny Gargano’s back and have pushed him to the moon when they could. They let go of his tag partner Tommaso Ciampa, which I’d argue had more marketability with the WWE, but opted to retain Gargano. Candice has a losing record in the WWE and is one who puts everybody over. While that role is relevant, as someone has to lose, but we’ve seen others released by the WWE who also put over other wrestlers non-stop. I’m NOT calling for either to be released, but my point is there exists some bias and love for Johnny Gargano by Triple H and it’s placing him in big spots like this.

HHH does show bias to any NXT call-up that he personally groomed or ones, especially, who listen to his advice. Bronson Reed is a perfect example of that, and gee, look who just attacked Oba Femi. What a coincidence? He also joined the newer Bloodline group and later joined the Vision.

So with that, I’m no longer going to defend this WWE regime, as everybody is impaired now. TKO is micro-managing everything and with that, Triple H is there to only “die on a hill” to defend and push the folks he personally likes. That ending to Smackdown was an abomination and CM Punk deserved better as a World Champion.

I’m also here to declare that 2023 was the official peak of the WWE, maybe even Wrestlemania 39 being the tip because post Wrestlemania 39 had its issues, too. Things magically came together for Wrestlemania 40, but that was honestly a sh*tshow on how that happened and everyone’s expectations have been forever high because of that event.

For me, TKO has fully taken over and the leader that was Triple H from 2022-2023, who literally saved the WWE from the Vince McMahon scandals and MADE IT BETTER, is now a former shell of himself.

This sucks because now it feels like the WWE has returned to “late 2010s” mode and the alternatives to watch are overrated.

We are in a declining period of wrestling, something that I wrote about and predicted during 2015 when WWE began dismantling John Cena as its top guy and bulldozing everybody with a dominant Brock Lesnar and an inexperienced babyface attempt called Roman Reigns. Funny, if we’re in “late 2010s” mode, then a babyface Roman Reigns fits right in.

The ONLY way we’ll see a boomtown in pro wrestling again is if any wrestling promotion creates a valid developmental system that adequately prepares younger wrestlers to step up. AEW doesn’t have a good system, as they are free agent dependent, and WWE is still dependent on wrestlers from prior developmental systems such as OVW and FCW, as the NXT developmental system stocked and supervised by Triple H has not restocked the WWE roster like the other systems have.

When Matt Bloom is your Performance Center trainer, and when you have open casting calls for anybody off the street to come to you versus actually scouting athletes to join (as Ross, Brisco, and even Mark Henry did), things will fall apart. Matt Bloom training is hilarious, as if he demonstrated the skillset as Prince Albert, A-Train, or Lord Tensai to teach to younger wrestlers. Go watch “Lord Tensai” completely sandbag Ryback’s finishing move and then realize THAT is who is training wrestlers for WWE. In comparison, the women have a GREAT trainer with Sarah Del Rey and gee, all of them are performing well and WWE has an entirely new division to market and sell along with superstars to send all over the country.

So yeah, WWE is in decline, TKO is micro-managing, and Triple H is in “f*ck it” mode where he’ll only care pushing his friends or favorite students. Sami, Johnny, and Candice need to THANK Triple H for always having their back.

Hey, at least Triple H is consistent… He’ll ride or die with the folks who personally showed him appreciation, like the Clique during the 1990s, anybody who worked out with him in the gym (Batista, Sheamus), and now his NXT students and signings. I’ll give him that.

Mr. Tito Column Archive @ NoDQ

The post MR. TITO: After Sami Zayn Won the WWE Title From CM Punk on Smackdown Last Night, I’m Done Defending WWE or Triple H appeared first on NoDQ.com: WWE and AEW Coverage.

Sami Zayn regains the WWE Title from CM Punk on SmackDown

Aaron Rift — Sat, 12 Sep 2026 02:05:19 +0000

During the September 11th 2026 edition of SmackDown, CM Punk defended the WWE Championship against Sami Zayn.

Johnny Gargano attempted to interfere as Zayn looked for a roll-up, but Punk kicked out at two. Zayn then applied another figure-four leglock before Candice LeRae interfered as Zayn transitioned into the Anaconda Vice.

Gargano attempted to hit Punk with the WWE Championship, but Punk countered with the GTS. Zayn then reached for the title, but Kevin Owens ran in. Owens accidentally struck Punk, allowing Zayn to hit Owens with a low blow.

Zayn then hit Punk with the Helluva Kick and scored the pinfall, becoming the new WWE Champion.

TOTAL COMPLETE CHAOS pic.twitter.com/NWvctnhzvG

— WWE (@WWE) September 12, 2026

The post Sami Zayn regains the WWE Title from CM Punk on SmackDown appeared first on NoDQ.com: WWE and AEW Coverage.

Michael Cole to WWE storyline critics: “We always ask our viewers to be patient because we are going to get there”

Aaron Rift — Thu, 16 Jul 2026 16:25:41 +0000

While speaking to The Sal Licata Show, WWE announcer Michael Cole commented on the internet’s mixed reaction to Sami Zayn losing the WWE Title after just nine days…

“Sami has an incredible connection with the audience because he’s been doing this for a very long time. He’s been in the business since 2002, running independents all over the world. He finally came to us over a decade ago, has had a really nice run as Intercontinental Champion, and was one of the stars of the Bloodline story from a couple of years ago.

It felt like it was time. I know a lot of people have talked about it being a participation trophy because he’s served such a long time in WWE. I look at it from a story standpoint, and I thought it was a great story.

I thought Sami winning in a match against Cody and Gunther, two of our biggest stars—no one thought Sami Zayn was going to win the championship. They didn’t think he was ever going to win the championship in his entire career here, and we pulled it off. It was a great celebration in Saudi Arabia. Sami’s Muslim. He was a hometown favorite there. They were behind him, so it was a great celebration afterward.

I always ask our viewers to have patience because there’s a long-term story arc with Sami that is going to be playing out now over the fact that he lost his championship. We always ask our viewers to just try to be patient because we are going to get there.

We do 52 weeks of television for Monday Night RAW and the same thing with SmackDown every single year. It’s live TV every week, so sometimes storylines might not progress as fast as our audience wants them to.

Listen, the audience can have all the views they want. We can’t do this without them. Be critical about it. Voice your opinions about it. But I really think people are going to enjoy where the Sami Zayn story is going to go over the next couple weeks.”

The post Michael Cole to WWE storyline critics: “We always ask our viewers to be patient because we are going to get there” appeared first on NoDQ.com: WWE and AEW Coverage.