The Mop-Up: Strong Starts, Thin Margins, and No Room for Coasting

Before I get into what the competition has been serving up in 2026, I need to rewind to a prediction I made a mere eight days ago. I went out on a limb regarding the scope of WOW Week, specifically the 2026 Draft, and wouldn’t you know it: the limb held. As previously reported, AEWContinue reading “The Mop-Up: Strong Starts, Thin Margins, and No Room for Coasting”

[A Tale of the Tape] Hyatte’s Elite Warfare preview

What — didn’t expect to see me back so soon? There was never a chance I was going to sit out the buildup to the biggest show of 2026. Yes, we’re barely a week and a half into the year, but that only makes the moment more striking. This Monday night, AEW presents a pay-per-viewContinue reading “[A Tale of the Tape] Hyatte’s Elite Warfare preview”

AEW Dynamite #66 [S04E017] (1.5.26)

Live from Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse | Cleveland, OH | Crowd Size: 18,303 SEGMENT ONE As Dynamite comes onto the air, Kevin Kelly and Arn Anderson welcome us to 2026! Kelly says he hopes everyone had a good holiday season, noting that tonight is the final stop before Elite Warfare! The crowd immediately becomes raucous asContinue reading “AEW Dynamite #66 [S04E017] (1.5.26)”

2026 Predictions for the World of Wrestling

To wrap up this frankly exhausting week of content from yours truly, it’s time to look ahead. Predicting the future in this industry has always been a fool’s errand. The wind changes direction without warning, pushing sure-thing superstars straight into the wall while dragging the supposedly finished back into relevance. Still, I said I’d doContinue reading “2026 Predictions for the World of Wrestling”

The Mop-Up: 2025 Year in Review

Chirs Hyatte’s In-Depth Look Back at ULW & WWE Programming Every year, the industry promises stability, foresight, and “the long game.”  And yet, every year, at least one of those promises gets powerbombed through the nearest announce table. (Not the unbreakable AEW table, of course…) 2025 was not a quiet year. It was loud, ambitious,Continue reading “The Mop-Up: 2025 Year in Review”

Chris Hyatte Presents: The 2025 Smarkies

As the sun sets on 2025, we kick off a trilogy of columns from yours truly.  This week brings you the inaugural edition of the Smarkies, followed mid-week by the Year in Review, and we’ll wrap things up by the weekend with my 2026 predictions, which you are free to bookmark now and argue aboutContinue reading “Chris Hyatte Presents: The 2025 Smarkies”

AEW Presents: Violent Night (12.22.25)

Live from Stabler Arena | Bethlehem, PA | Crowd Size: 6,500 SEGMENT ONE The feed pops on with a loud shriek of feedback. The picture is titled. Doc Brown’s wild hair fills most of the frame. Doc Brown: –No, no… that’s not the lens, that’s my thumb. There! There we go. He squints at theContinue reading “AEW Presents: Violent Night (12.22.25)”

AEW Dynamite #65 [S04E016] (12.15.25)

Live from Sioux Falls Arena  | Sioux Falls Arena, SD | Crowd Size: 8,200 SEGMENT ONE As Dynamite comes on the air, the camera finds Doc Brown in a quiet hallway, again surrounded by extension cords, bubbling beakers, blinking monitors, and homemade contraptions taped together with an alarming degree of optimism. Brown observes his handyContinue reading “AEW Dynamite #65 [S04E016] (12.15.25)”

AEW Dynamite #64 [S04E015] (12.8.25)

Live from CFG Bank Arena | Baltimore, MD | Crowd Size: 9,200 SEGMENT ONE In the cold open, the camera follows Paul Heyman as he power walks down the hallway, his coat flapping behind him. His phone is pressed to his ear, as he appears to be in full crisis prevention mode. Paul Heyman: [intoContinue reading “AEW Dynamite #64 [S04E015] (12.8.25)”

AEW Presents: Season’s Beatings (11.24.25)

Live from USA Hockey Arena | Plymouth, MA | Crowd Size: 5,500 SEGMENT ONE As Season’s Beatings comes onto the air, we open with a shot of an elaborate banquet of turkey, stuffing and pies displayed impeccably in catering. Sitting dangerously close to the holiday spread is a makeshift science station, built from plastic cateringContinue reading “AEW Presents: Season’s Beatings (11.24.25)”