Apologies for the delayed column. I’d love to blame my tardiness on the winter storm that pummeled much of the U.S., or even the unsettling events we’re all still watching unfold in Minnesota. But the truth is far less noble: I simply didn’t feel like doing much of anything beyond watching The Rock’s Oscar-worthy performance in The Smashing Machine and demolishing an entire bag of powdered donuts in one sitting.
But alas, here I am — armed with all the hot takes you’ve been patiently waiting for!
WWE:
What a week for World Wrestling Entertainment, capped off with the Royal Rumble this past Saturday.
The kickoff to the road to WrestleMania Legacy delivered two major headlines:
First, The Rock has officially become the longest-reigning world champion of all time — a record no longer burdened by an asterisk. Second, and perhaps just as consequential, was the arrival of Randy Orton, the winner of the 2026 Royal Rumble.
It’s kind of fitting that since early December, W.I.N. has been hyping the launch of the so-called “Apex Era.” In hindsight, that may have been less of a branding exercise and more of a subtle foreshadowing of Orton’s WWE arrival.
I can’t say that with certainty — but here’s what I do know.
Last summer, BWM Inc. made a very tempting, and ultimately successful, bid to bring Randy Orton back into the fold. Orton, a legend within BWM Inc., was the first Elite Wrestling Alliance Champion in both of its incarnations. His relationship with BWM Inc. management had always been amicable and easygoing, and the Legend Killer was reportedly thrilled about “coming home.”
When Orton returned to AEW — where he hadn’t worked since the first season — he wasted no time declaring his intention to win the AEW World Heavyweight Championship. He even earned a title shot against then-champion Bobby Lashley after defeating Will Ospreay. Ultimately, though, those championship aspirations went up in smoke when Orton found himself targeted by Mr. Brodie Lee and the Guilty Remnant.
That feud carried through the fall and culminated in a clash with Mr. Brodie Lee, a bout that ultimately wrote Orton off television. At the time, my sources indicated Orton would rest up and return to be folded back into the ongoing Remnant/Benny/Danhausen/Sami/Megan saga, where he was expected to play a prominent role.
Those plans, however, fell apart.
According to my sources, Orton wasn’t pleased with the situation he returned to. BWM Inc. had changed. When Orton first debuted in the UWF, he was an up-and-coming talent. That ascent was solidified in EWA when he betrayed his mentor, Metal Head, and formed The Legacy alongside Cody Rhodes, Ted DiBiase Jr., and David Hart Smith. While I can’t independently confirm this, early reports suggest Orton returned with the expectation that his spot on the top of the card would be guaranteed.
What he found instead was a company increasingly focused on younger talent — Ospreay, Hangman, MJF, and others. Even with a featured role, there were reportedly no plans to move Orton back into the title picture.
Things came to a head following Sympathy for the Devil, as Orton clashed with management over creative direction. Ultimately, the two sides reached an amicable agreement for his contractual release, instantly making Orton the biggest — and quietest — free agent in the industry. And given how closely WWE and AEW have worked together over the years, it didn’t take long for WWE to hear about it.
What’s truly impressive is that WWE had Orton under contract for nearly three months before finally pulling the trigger on his debut. They waited so long, in fact, that I had pretty much forgotten about the rumors entirely, making his Rumble victory all the more surprising.
Now, Orton stands poised to challenge The Rock at the head of the proverbial table. Should he succeed, he’ll further cement his place in wrestling history as one of the select few to hold a world championship in BWM Inc., CME, and W.I.N. What a story it’d be for the Legend Killer to kill off the most legendary world title reign in the sport’s history!
It’s also worth noting the company’s success in getting Jean-Claude Van Damme over as the newest celebrity wrestler du jour (that’s French, you uneducated swine). JCVD had a standout segment with Nikki Bella and followed it up with a legitimately impressive performance in the Royal Rumble. Much like Johnny Lawrence before him, it’s no longer out of the question that Van Damme blows past the modest expectations that typically come with these celebrity runs. We may very well be looking at one of the breakout stars of 2026 — and we’re only 26 days into the year!!!
Also worth mentioning from this past week was the continuation of the ongoing saga surrounding Mr. Murrey’s possible connection to the Mouse family. I noted last week that there was enough smoke here to suggest a fire in the form of long-term storytelling, and after this week, I’m only more convinced there’s far more to this than many initially assumed. Is Murrey a Mouse after all? Or is this simply another case of promoters having a little fun at their competition’s expense? Time will tell.
Finally, a shout-out to my girl Nattie Hart, who shocked the pundit class — myself included — with her upset victory over Rhea Ripley. Last week, I predicted she’d come up short and serve as little more than fuel for Ripley’s momentum, and I’m happy to report I was wrong. (A sentence I won’t be typing again anytime soon.) By pulling the swerve here, WWE firmly establishes Nattie as a top-tier player while pushing Rhea back into the chase, which is almost always where a babyface is most effective. It also deepens the top of the division by adding Nattie as a credible champion.
Good shit.
ULW:
Meanwhile, down south, Monday night delivered a legitimately shocking result in Punk vs. Styles — a match I had all but penciled in as a Punk victory. Instead, AJ Styles walked away with the win, preserving both his spot in the tournament and his guaranteed place on the exemptions list come draft time.
I am, however, intrigued by the language surrounding the stipulation. It leaves the door open for Punk to still find his way onto the exemptions list, particularly if he’s holding gold at draft time. Regardless, the two tore the house down, and Styles once again proved there’s still plenty of gas left in the tank. If this truly was the blowoff for their feud, I think the match was fitting of the moment.
A recurring theme in ULW last week, and in the weeks before, was a wave of vignettes and promos promising imminent “big runs.” Drew McIntyre was among them, and I’ll be blunt: his tenure in CME has been an overall flop. That’s not a knock on Drew’s ability — if anything, he may have more potential now than at any point in his career. The issue is simple math: too many top-tier talents and not enough top-tier spots.
I could see Drew winning the Epic Royale, but that’s still months away. The question is what he does in the meantime. Lay low? Stay off the radar? If that’s the plan, he’s already proven he’s quite adept at it. That said, CME clearly wants to feature him more prominently, as evidenced by last year’s magazine interview and Monday night’s vignette. The problem is, guys like Chris Jericho have also promised the same, and we know that the more we hear this sort of promise, the more likely it is that someone’s going to be proven wrong.
We also saw tension teased within Built for Success. Bron Breakker approached his father, Rick Steiner, offering to make him his co–tag team champion. This came immediately after Scott Steiner’s loss to Brock Lesnar —and after Scott overheard Bron openly belittling him while making the offer to Rick. Subtle? No. Effective? Very. I think it’s quite possible that this stable is not going to survive the first quarter of 2026, and that’s probably for the best if the company’s ever going to get serious about Breakker’s ascent to the TOP GUY spot.
Elsewhere, Brock Anderson appears to have assumed the role of leader within the Triumvirate — a word I still have to Google every single time I spell it. Anderson delivered a pep talk to FTR about reclaiming the tag titles and recommitting to their mission of “making the industry serious again.” What stood out was FTR’s silent acceptance of Anderson’s leadership, despite the fact that he recently lost the Providence Championship.
Still, with a tournament slot secured, he’s arguably in better shape than the rest of the group. And though Anderson even went as far as to remind us that there are no leaders in the group, it felt more like lip service to his teammates than a factual proclamation. Credit where credit is due, however. ULW has gotten Anderson over, despite the fact that outside of the ring, he hadn’t had much of a chance to show his personality. The second-generation superstar appears to have more charisma than one would’ve initially expected. His father has some big shoes for Brock to fill, but he’s putting in the work to etch out his own place in the industry, and I am here for it.
Finally, one of my favorite moments of the week: the Ladies Man cut a deeply personal promo recapping his career and announcing he’ll enter the Epic Royale at number one. He also declared that if he doesn’t win the world title by season’s end, he’ll retire.
Full disclosure: I’m a known Ladies Man mark. I still believe ULW dropped the ball ending his title reign last season at the peak of his popularity. That said, this might be the right time. As the roster grows increasingly crowded, the space for the grizzled vet shrinks — and ULW already has plenty of them.
I’d love to see the Ladies Man transition into an analyst or managerial role in the years ahead. He’s earned it.
The common thread this week isn’t shock for shock’s sake; it’s intention.
From WWE’s patience paying off in a major way, to ULW quietly repositioning its hierarchy, to storylines that are very clearly playing the long game, the industry feels less reactive than it has in a while.
That doesn’t mean every move will work, but it does mean the people in charge know where they’re trying to go. As always, the real test isn’t the pop, the rating, or the headline; it’s whether any of this still matters six months from now.
Check back then. I’ll still be here, mop in hand.
World Of Wrestling: Murrey Universe 