Latest news with #DonovanDijak
Forbes
01-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
R-Truth Shockingly Released By WWE As The Wrestling World Reacts
R-Truth was released by WWE. R-Truth spent the majority of his 17-year WWE run as a hilariously confused, lovable lowkey legend. So when Truth took to Twitter to post he had been released, it was easy to assume this was the latest R-Truth gag in a long, legendary line of them. It wasn't. 'Im sorry to inform you all. I just got released from WWE. I want to thank WWE for the ride, but MOSTLY I want to thank each and EVERYONE OF YOU who was along for the ride, Thank you for all the love, support, and appreciation you have given me over the years. Thank you." Truth's final match was a one-sided loss to JC Mateo this past Friday on SmackDown after one of his signature comedy segments that made Solo Sikoa briefly break character with laughter. Truth's tweet was followed by an outpouring of love and support for fans, wrestlers and, least importantly, wrestling media. Seemingly a WWE lifer, especially after surviving WWE's latest list of cuts, R-Truth's sudden release sent shockwaves across WWE social media. 'I hate this so much,' said Naomi. 'You're the best! Hope we can run it back bro,' said Donovan Dijak. 'In all seriousness, this is literally so heartbreaking… Thank you Truth,' said Rhea Ripley. The now poignant tweets mourning R-Truth's departure are a necessary evil in this entire process, as Truth's character created a 'Boy who cried wolf' complex on social media where WWE Superstars are usually in character. Dominik Mysterio, Nia Jax, Pat McAfee, Shotzi and countless wrestlers from across the industry posted about their love and support for one of the most beloved WWE Superstars of all time. In fact, the nature of Truth's release is sure to stir up chaos backstage, as Truth's release is another reminder that very few job feel safe in the TKO Era. 'The unfortunate news of R-Truth's release is, at the very least, eye-opening. He's one of the most well-liked individuals to ever work for the company. I'm sure there'll be plenty of questions backstage tomorrow…' wrote WWE insider account WrestleVotes. 'I am heartbroken. It's the nature of the beast; the part of business that no one likes but the bean counters. I love Ron the Truth Killings and I don't care who knows it. WHAT A RUN! [sic],' wrote WWE lead writer and Truth's former tag team partner Brian 'Road Dogg" James. James curiously deleted the post moments later. Given how popular he was in WWE's locker room, expect R-Truth tributes and easter eggs in wrestling matches throughout Monday's Raw on Netflix from the BOK Center in Tulsa, Okla.
Fox News
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Fox News
Banged up Matt Riddle ready to defend MLW world title against Donovan Dijak at Azteca Lucha
Matt Riddle will walk into Major League Wrestling's (MLW) Azteca Lucha pay-per-view Saturday night banged up when he takes on Donovan Dijak for the world title. Riddle has held the MLW world heavyweight championship belt for nearly four months after he defeated Satoshi Kojima at Kings of Colosseum. Since then, he's defeated Kojima and Alex Kane at SuperFight 6 and won the Battle Riot match last month to hold onto the title. Dijak may be Riddle's toughest challenge yet. He's yet to be pinned or submitted since he made his MLW debut last year. He lost to Riddle at MLW's One Shot in December via disqualification. He made quick friends with manager Saint Laurent and found a new ally in Bishop Dyer when he made his debut at Battle Riot last month. Riddle told Fox News Digital he's aware of the challenges he faces, but it's part of the burden of being the top guy in the company. "At the end of the day, it's kind of like motivation. Sometimes, when you're just one-on-one with somebody, you kind of drop your guard," Riddle said. "Unfortunately for me, it's never a one-on-one situation, even when it's supposed to be. It's just another day for the bro. It's just another day for the MLW heavyweight champion of the world. "I think I'm ready. After winning the Battle Riot and having 39 other competitors, including (Rob Van Dam) there and still walking away … MLW world heavyweight champion, I'm confident, but not too confident, that I know what I have to do to get the job done." Riddle will enter the match with some busted ribs he sustained in a steel chair assault from Dijak. Riddle still vowed to defend the title. "The ribs are a little banged up," Riddle said. "But that's bound to happen in this line of work. I think the important part is that Dijak is the one responsible for injuring my ribs. He'll probably be trying to target them in this world title match in Chicago. "I'm looking out for that, but, at the same time, I've been doing some sit-ups. I've been trying to keep the abs tight." Austin Aries is expected to be on the call for the event. He returned to MLW on the mic at Battle Riot. He shared his thoughts on the match with Fox News Digital. "I know as good as anybody to win the championship is difficult, but to keep the championship is even more difficult because now you're a marked man, everyone's coming for you, everyone's gunning for you," Aries said. "And, on top of that, you're being asked to do media, you're getting asked to be the face of the company. It's a heavy burden to carry, and Riddle's been carrying for a while. "If there's anyone that's going to take the championship off of them and if at any point it's gonna happen, Chicago coming up here on May 10 very well could be that day." Azteca Lucha is set for Saturday at Cicero Stadium in Chicago. The event can be seen on YouTube. Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
Fox News
04-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Fox News
MLW star Donovan Dijak eyes world title at Battle Riot VII, sets high expectations for company's growth
Donovan Dijak will be one of the 40 men competing in Battle Riot VII on Saturday with the Major League Wrestling (MLW) World Heavyweight Championship on the line. It will be the fourth rumble-type event of Dijak's career, having competed in OTT Loco Rumble in February, NEW Over The Top 2017 and DREAMWAVE Good as Gold Rumble in 2016. He told Fox News Digital in a recent interview he was even more excited that Battle Riot had more stakes attached to it. "It's super exciting, especially now that it's for the MLW World Heavyweight Championship, which in my eyes is the most prestigious championship in all of professional wrestling. I can't wait to get an opportunity and capitalize on obtaining that," he said. "Obviously, always a great event. You never quite know who's going to come out, but you know for sure that I'm going to be there. So, once the dust has settled, I think I'm going to be standing holding that MLW World Championship, and I'm super excited for that opportunity. I can't wait to put the company on my back, right on my shoulders, and carry us through the entire year. Dijak made his debut in August at Summer of the Beasts in New York City and, since then, he's made his presence felt in MLW. He defeated Tom Lawlor at SuperFight 6 and topped KENTA at Kings of Colosseum but lost to Matt Riddle at Eric Bischoff's One Shot in December via disqualification. Riddle is now in the precarious position of having to defend his title against 39 other men. For Dijak to win, "it would mean everything" to him. "I'm not a person who's had a lot of championships to my name," he told Fox News Digital. "I haven't had a ton of championship-sort-of-accolades attached to me. I've been very vocal in the fact that in terms of the grand scheme of professional wrestling, there's not really anybody, not just now, but pretty much ever, that has had the success that I've had in the professional wrestling industry without any sort of major championship accolades to go along with it. "I almost have a point of pride at this point because it's like I view myself as one of the – and not just myself, but I think most people would view me as one of the top talents in the world of professional wrestling. So, the fact that I'm able to do that without the flagship of a major championship attached really speaks as a testament to my own sacrifice and dedication and hard work to the professional wrestling industry." Dijak made clear that being with MLW for nearly eight months has been an "absolute pleasure." "They give me the time and the focus and the dedication that I reciprocate to them. So, it is very much a collaborative effort on both sides of that, and I'm truly appreciative for that level of investment and that level of dedication, because that's what I love about professional wrestling," he said. "I love that nobody's right, nobody's wrong. We all work together to figure out what we think is the best possible situation and presentation, and I love that we're all on the same page in terms of that. "I think that the fans, ultimately, are the ones who get the payoff for that because they get to experience the product of so many intelligent minds working together." MLW is one of the top wrestling promotions in the U.S. competing for time and space in the industry's landscape with the competition seemingly stiffening even more over the last year. Dijak said MLW has been on a "constant trajectory upward for a very long time" and expects the trend to go even higher over the next few months. "I'm the type of person who is never satiated or satisfied with what's currently happening," he told Fox News Digital. "I'm always looking two steps ahead, three steps ahead, four steps ahead. So I'm worried about next month, I'm worried about six months from now, next year or two years. I'm always looking forward and thinking about how can we improve and how can increase, and that's going to continue to be my goal. "And I know that if I'm given the opportunity to sort of spearhead that and lead that charge, that's going to create unprecedented growth and opportunity." MLW's Battle Riot VII takes place at Thunder Studios in Long Beach, California, on Saturday night. The event can also be seen on YouTube at 10 p.m. ET. Bishop Dyer, Anthony Greene, Jesus Rodriguez, Paul London, Paul Walter Hauser and Brett Ryan Gosselin are just some of the other participants. Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
