Wrestling Wire: July 11, 2026 – Results, Rumors & News

CM Punk Shocks SmackDown, Sheamus Says Goodbye to WWE, and Bandido Survives a War with Bryan Keith on ROH

Wrestling fans have plenty to talk about this weekend. CM Punk shook up WWE SmackDown by claiming the Undisputed WWE Championship and setting up a blockbuster SummerSlam main event, while Sheamus closed the book on his long WWE run. ROH delivered a hard-fought World Title defense on its latest episode, AEW rolls into Roanoke, Virginia, tonight with title matches on the line, and the rumor mill is buzzing about a former TNA World Champion possibly heading to WWE. Here’s everything you need to know in today’s Wrestling Wire.

Last Night’s Results: CM Punk Arrives on SmackDown

WWE SmackDown aired live Friday from the Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, and the fallout from Monday’s title change on Raw dominated the show, according to WWE.com and Fightful.

• CM Punk arrives as champion: After winning the Undisputed WWE Championship from Sami Zayn on Raw, Punk walked out to a deafening ovation and called out several top stars, including Finn Bálor, Gunther and Damian Priest, daring any of them to step up first. Cody Rhodes interrupted the moment, and the two exchanged words before shaking hands on a title match at SummerSlam. SmackDown General Manager Nick Aldis made the match official to close the segment.
• Finn Bálor defeated Tama Tonga in a hard-hitting brawl that spilled outside the ring twice. Bálor got payback for a backstage attack from Tama and Talla Tonga the week before, finishing Tama with a Coup de Grâce off the ring apron onto the floor.
• Jimmy Uso defeated Royce Keys in a short, physical impromptu match. Afterward, Jacob Fatu stormed the ring and laid out Solo Sikoa with a superkick and a running Samoan Spike, calling it a “final warning” to rejoin The Bloodline.
• Jade Cargill defeated Alexa Bliss in a physical five-minute contest that ended when Cargill hit her finishing Jaded slam. Cargill then grabbed a steel chair and injured Bliss’s arm after the bell, drawing officials and referees to the ring to pull her away.
• Trick Williams vs. Carmelo Hayes ended in a no-contest after both men were trading near-falls for nearly ten minutes. Returning star Baron Corbin stormed the ring and attacked both competitors, hitting Williams with an End of Days before officials cleared the ring.
• The show closed with a tense confrontation as Gunther choked out GM Nick Aldis with a rear naked chokehold after learning he’d been booked to team with Sami Zayn against Punk and Rhodes at Saturday Night’s Main Event.

AEW Collision airs tonight from Roanoke, Virginia, headlined by an ROH World Championship defense with Bandido facing Katsuyori Shibata, plus a TNT Championship match between Mark Briscoe and Hechicero, according to Slam Wrestling and PWInsider. Full results will run in tomorrow’s column.

ROH TV Results: Bandido Survives Bryan Keith to Retain World Title

ROH TV episode 174 streamed July 9 on HonorClub, taped June 22 at WJCT Studios in Jacksonville, Florida. Bandido successfully defended the ROH World Championship against Bryan Keith in the main event, escaping a late flurry from “The Bounty Hunter” by blocking a butterfly powerbomb and turning it into a hurricanrana pinning combination for the win, according to Fightful and F4WOnline. It marked Bandido’s 459th day holding the title in his second reign, having first won it at Best in the World 2021 before capturing it again from Chris Jericho at AEW Dynasty 2025.

Full card

• Bang Bang Gang (Juice Robinson & Ace Austin) defeated Grizzled Young Veterans (James Drake & Zack Gibson) in an entertaining tag opener. After the GYV isolated Austin with repeated chinlocks, Robinson made the hot tag and cleared house with a double high crossbody, setting up Austin’s finishing move, The Fold, for the win.
• SkyFlight (Scorpio Sky, Dante & Darius Martin) defeated The Frat House (Preston Vance, Griff Garrison & Jacked Jameson) in a trios match. After the Frat House isolated Dante Martin for several minutes, a hot tag to Darius turned the tide, and Scorpio Sky closed it out with a slingshot TKO on Jameson.
• Bishop Kaun defeated Royce Isaacs in a stiff, hard-hitting big-man clash. Isaacs nearly stole the win with a pop-up Spicolli Driver, but Kaun answered with three German suplexes before finishing him with a standing Wasteland Slam into the Biyombe.
• Mina Shirakawa & Queen Aminata defeated Sahara Seven & Kaci Lennox, with Shirakawa locking in a figure-four leglock on Lennox for the submission after the two teams traded near-falls throughout.
• The Lethal Twist (Jay Lethal, Blake Christian & Lee Johnson) defeated Los Colóns (Eddie & Orlando Colón) & Serpentico in chaotic six-man tag action. Lee Johnson pulled off Serpentico’s mask mid-hold and pinned him with it still in hand; Christian kept the mask afterward as a trophy.
• Mance Warner defeated “Daddy Magic” Matt Menard in a Pure Rules match, grounding out the win with a DDT after both men burned through their rope breaks early.
• Isla Dawn defeated Kelsey Raegan by submission with a Dragon Sleeper.
• Satnam Singh defeated Bruss Hamilton with a chokeslam.
• The Rascalz (Zachary Wentz & Dezmond Xavier) and The Von Erichs (Ross & Marshall Von Erich) defeated Il Cartello Grillo & Nathan Cruz in eight-man tag action, after the debuting Il Cartello Grillo trio cut a pre-match promo declaring they were ready to “take over” ROH.
• Tehuti Miles defeated LSG with a modified Fireman’s Carry Driver, with Shane Taylor Promotions appearing on the ramp afterward to size up Miles.

The episode also featured backstage tension between Action Andretti and Lio Rush, as Andretti told Caprice Coleman he was done trusting his former Cru stablemate now that Rush has fully embraced his “Blackheart” persona, teasing a singles feud between the two, per 411Mania.

Wrestling News: Signings & Firings

• Sheamus has officially departed WWE. PWInsider confirmed the news directly in a report titled “Sheamus Bids Farewell to WWE”, and Fightful noted that fellow Superstar JD McDonagh publicly bid farewell to Sheamus following the announcement. WWE has not named a replacement for his spot on the roster.
• Daria Rae has signed a new deal with TNA, according to PWInsider, continuing her run with the promotion.
• Fightful’s ongoing contract tracker shows several notable names with deals extending well into the future, including Seth Rollins (Fall 2028), Randy Orton (Late 2029) and Kevin Owens (February 2030), per Fightful’s contract database.

Rumor Mill (Unconfirmed)

The following items are unconfirmed rumors and should be treated as speculation.

• Mike Santana to WWE? According to Cageside Seats, PWInsider reported that the TNA World Champion’s deal with the company is set to expire in “mid-July,” and WrestleVotes Radio on Fightful Select says WWE is keeping tabs on him, though no brand has been decided.
• Matt Sydal could return to AEW. PWInsider says AEW officials have discussed bringing the veteran high-flyer back, though there’s no confirmed timetable, per the same Cageside Seats roundup.
• TNA is not for sale — for now. Matt Hardy said on his Extreme Life podcast that despite rumors, “we’re not about to be bought by WWE right now,” though he speculated it “could happen” down the road.

Upcoming Events

• Tonight, July 11: AEW Collision, Roanoke, VA — TNT/HBO Max
• July 18: WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event, Madison Square Garden, NYC
• July 20: ROH TV Tapings, Jacksonville, FL
• July 27: AEW Redemption, Montreal, Quebec
• August 1–2: WWE SummerSlam Night One & Two, Minneapolis, MN
• August 21: ROH Death Before Dishonor, 2300 Arena, Philadelphia
• August 30: AEW All In, London, England

Where Are They Now? Dave Bautista

Long before he was smashing box-office records as Drax the Destroyer, Dave Bautista overcame a rough upbringing to become one of the most dominant champions in WWE history. Born in Washington, D.C., in 1969, Bautista grew up in poverty and was largely on his own by age 17. He worked as a nightclub bouncer and lifeguard before turning to bodybuilding in his late 20s, a decision he has credited with saving his life.

Bautista tried out for WCW’s Power Plant training program but was told he’d never make it in wrestling. He didn’t give up. He trained instead with Afa Anoa’i at the Wild Samoan Training Center and made his pro debut in 1999. He signed with the WWF in 2000 and was sent to developmental territory Ohio Valley Wrestling, where he wrestled as “Leviathan” and won the OVW Heavyweight Championship before getting called up to the main roster in 2002.

His big break came in January 2003, when he joined Evolution, the legendary heel faction alongside Triple H, Ric Flair and Randy Orton. The pairing turned “Batista” into a main-event star. He captured his first World Heavyweight Championship in dramatic fashion by defeating Triple H at WrestleMania 21 in 2005 — a match Wrestling Observer’s Dave Meltzer called “the peak of one of WWE’s best storylines in years.” That reign lasted a then-record 282 days, the longest in the title’s history.

Over the rest of the decade, Bautista built one of the sport’s most decorated résumés: six total world championships (four World Heavyweight titles and two WWE Championships), three reigns as World Tag Team Champion, a WWE Tag Team Championship with Rey Mysterio, and Royal Rumble wins in both 2005 and 2014. He headlined both WrestleMania 21 and WrestleMania XXX, two of the highest-grossing pay-per-views in wrestling history.

In 2010, at the height of his fame, Bautista walked away from WWE to pursue acting and a brief mixed martial arts career, going 1-0 with a first-round TKO win in 2012. He returned to WWE twice more, in 2014 and again in 2018, finally retiring after a WrestleMania 35 match against Triple H in 2019.

Today, Bautista is one of Hollywood’s most respected leading men — often cited as the greatest wrestler-turned-actor of all time. Beyond his career-defining role as Drax in four Marvel films, he’s starred in Spectre, Blade Runner 2049, Dune and its sequel (as Rabban), Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, Knock at the Cabin and The Last Showgirl. He’s spoken candidly about his difficult childhood and has said he wants to be remembered as a serious actor, not just “a wrestler turned actor,” continuing to seek out dramatic roles that push beyond his action-star image.

Bonus Content: Brawl in the Ballpark Results, Injury Report & More

🩺 Injury Report: Rhea Ripley

Former Women’s World Champion Rhea Ripley revealed she has suffered a slight meniscus tear. Ripley said her return timeline is “up in the air,” but indicated she intends to keep working while managing the injury. WWE has not announced any changes to her schedule, according to POST Wrestling.

🎤 Cedric Alexander Speaks Out

Former WWE Superstar Cedric Alexander reflected on his career this week, saying the one WWE match he wishes had happened was a showdown with rising NXT star Je’Von Evans. Alexander also praised TNA Wrestling, saying the promotion deserves far more credit for helping shape modern women’s wrestling.

🤼 AEW Brawl in the Ballpark Results

AEW teamed up with the Minnesota Twins for its first-ever MLB postgame event Friday night at Target Field in Minneapolis, following the Twins-Angels game. The 75-minute, non-televised show ran in a ring built at Gate 34, free to anyone with a game ticket, according to Fightful and TheSmackDownHotel.

• Orange Cassidy defeated Wheeler Yuta in the opener, playing to the hometown Minneapolis crowd with his usual laid-back offense before finishing Yuta off cleanly.

• Top Flight (Dante & Darius Martin) and Komander defeated Action Andretti, Hook and Anthony Bowens in a fast-paced six-man trios match. With Komander back in action, the luchador teamed with the hometown Martin brothers for a big pop, picking up the win with a triple-team finish on Bowens.

• Julia Hart defeated Hyan. Both women have local ties to the Minneapolis independent scene, and Hart got the better of a hard-hitting back-and-forth battle.

• Brian Cage defeated Serpentico in a power-vs-speed matchup, with Cage overwhelming Serpentico physically to pick up the win.

• The Hurt Syndicate (Bobby Lashley & Shelton Benjamin) defeated Shane Taylor Promotions (Shane Taylor & Lee Moriarty) in the main event. Minnesota native Shelton Benjamin got a hometown ovation, and the Hurt Syndicate closed the show with a dominant win.

• After the bell, Orange Cassidy hit an “orange punch” on Shane Taylor Promotions manager Carlie Bravo, drawing a big reaction from the crowd.

The show continues AEW’s momentum heading toward All In on August 30 in London.

Engage With Us

What did you think of CM Punk’s arrival on SmackDown, or Bandido’s title defense on ROH? Drop your thoughts in the comments below, and don’t forget to share this article with your fellow wrestling fans. Follow the Utica Phoenix for tomorrow’s full AEW Collision recap and more daily Wrestling Wire coverage!