Latest news with #post-WWE
Newsweek
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Newsweek
Former WWE Superstar Wins First Title Since Being Released
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Priscilla Kelly, known to WWE fans as Gigi Dolin, has captured her first championship since being released from the company. The victory marks a major milestone in her successful return to the independent wrestling scene. Adrenaline Championship Wrestling announced on social media that Priscilla Kelly is the new ACW Fire Women's Champion. She won the title at an event this past weekend in Glen Burnie, Maryland. Priscilla Kelly has won her first championship since leaving #WWENXT .. As she is the new.. Adrenaline Championship Wrestling.. Fire 🔥 Women's Champion !! She won the title tonight in Glen Burnie MD . .@HellsFavoritePK — Adrenaline Championship Wrestling (@ACW_Pro) August 10, 2025 A Triumphant Return to the Indies This championship win is a significant and redemptive moment for Kelly. Her departure from WWE in May 2025 came after a period she has described as difficult for her personally. In past interviews, the former NXT star has been open about being "absolutely depressed" during her time in WWE's developmental system. This new title is a clear sign that she has rediscovered her passion for the business and is ready to take control of her own career. The Toxic Attraction Era As Gigi Dolin in WWE NXT, Kelly was one of the brand's most popular stars. She was a founding member of the dominant and iconic faction, Toxic Attraction, alongside Mandy Rose and Jacy Jayne. The "mean girl" rockstar group ran NXT for over a year, with all three members holding championship gold simultaneously. HOUSTON, TEXAS - MARCH 11: A general stadium view during WWE Monday Night RAW at Toyota Center on March 11, 2024 in Houston, Texas. HOUSTON, TEXAS - MARCH 11: A general stadium view during WWE Monday Night RAW at Toyota Center on March 11, 2024 in Houston, Texas. Dolin herself was a two-time NXT Women's Tag Team Champion with Jacy Jayne. Their reign at the top of the division was a highlight of the NXT 2.0 era. More news: WWE Superstar Announces Retirement Match A New Beginning After the breakup of Toxic Attraction, Dolin's career on the brand stalled before her eventual release. Since returning to the independent circuit, she has also returned to her edgier, pre-WWE persona of Priscilla Kelly. Now, with a new championship around her waist, she has sent a clear message that she is back and ready to rule the indie scene. Her first post-WWE title reign could be the start of a major new chapter for the talented 28-year-old. The wrestling world will be watching to see what she does next. More WWE News: For more on WWE, head to Newsweek Sports.
Newsweek
24-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Newsweek
Mercedes Mone Gives Savage Response To WWE Fans
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. AEW TBS Champion Mercedes Mone has a clear and savage message for any fans who are still hoping she will one day return to WWE. In a recent social media exchange, "The CEO" emphatically shut down the idea of a comeback. The interaction occurred on Mone's Instagram account. When a fan commented on one of her posts telling her to return to WWE, she did not hold back with her response. Mercedes Mone has made it clear that her focus is entirely on her career in All Elite Wrestling. She responded to the fan with a blunt and direct five-word message. "imma need your ugly ass to watch AEW," Mone wrote. This response reinforces the narrative that has defined her post-WWE career. She is a star who is determined to carve out her own path on her own terms. Before she was "The CEO" in AEW, Mercedes Mone was known to the world as Sasha Banks, one of the most decorated and influential female superstars in WWE history. As one of the "Four Horsewomen," she was a cornerstone of the Women's Revolution, helping to elevate women's wrestling to a main event level. SAN JOSE, CA - Oct. 16: AEW TBS Champion Mercedes Moné has her arms raised after defeating Queen Aminata on AEW Dynamite SAN JOSE, CA - Oct. 16: AEW TBS Champion Mercedes Moné has her arms raised after defeating Queen Aminata on AEW Dynamite Ricky Havlik/AEW More news: WWE Superstar Announces Retirement Match A multi-time champion and a Women's Grand Slam winner in WWE, her legendary feud with Bayley produced some of the most acclaimed matches in the company's history. However, her time with the company came to an abrupt and controversial end in May 2022. In May 2022, while they were the reigning WWE Women's Tag Team Champions, Mone and her partner Naomi walked out of an episode of Monday Night Raw due to creative frustrations. The move sent shockwaves through the industry and led to a long, contentious period where her future was uncertain. After leaving WWE, Mone proved she could be a major star on a global scale. She had a successful run in Japan, winning the prestigious IWGP Women's Championship. In March 2025, she made her highly anticipated debut for AEW at the Big Business special, where she won the TBS Championship in her first match. Mone has been a dominant champion ever since, and while she recently suffered her first singles loss to Toni Storm at All In, she remains a centerpiece of the AEW women's division. Her response to the fan makes it clear that she has no intention of looking back. More WWE News: For more on WWE, head to Newsweek Sports.
Economic Times
10-07-2025
- Business
- Economic Times
WWE co-founder Vince McMahon launching '14TH & I'. Here's all about it
Synopsis Vince McMahon, after leaving WWE in early 2024, has launched a private investment firm named '14TH & I,' signaling a shift towards sports, media, and entertainment. The firm, led by Brad Blum, will focus on private equity investments and entertainment production, particularly scripted television and digital content. AP Vince McMahon Vince McMahon, the co-founder and longtime face of WWE, is gearing up for a fresh chapter. After stepping away from WWE in early 2024, McMahon has now launched a private investment firm named '14TH & I.'The move signals his transition from the wrestling world to broader ambitions in sports, media, and entertainment. On July 7, 2025, the firm filed a trademark for what appears to be its official logo—offering the first public glimpse into McMahon's post-WWE plans. According to the trademark filing, McMahon's new firm will focus on two primary areas:Private equity investment services – including fund management and financial portfolio oversightEntertainment production – specifically the creation and development of scripted television and digital content The company's president, Brad Blum, describes it on LinkedIn as "a private investment firm focused on the sports, media, and entertainment sectors." He adds that the firm targets majority buyouts and selective minority investments, working closely with management teams to unlock long-term name '14TH & I' has deep personal and historical roots. As reported by Wrestlenomics, it references the intersection of 14th and I Streets in Washington, D.C.—the former location of Capitol Wrestling Corporation, the precursor to WWE. The company was led by McMahon's father, Vincent J. McMahon, during the 1950s and 1960s. This nod to family legacy subtly ties McMahon's new venture to the origins of his wrestling empire, even if it takes him in a different McMahon's wrestling legacy, early reports suggest that '14TH & I' will not be involved in professional wrestling. However, the firm's exact role in other sports domains remains also worth noting that McMahon is still entangled in legal battles stemming from his time at WWE, even as he moves forward with this new business chapter.
Newsweek
02-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Newsweek
"I Lost Myself" - Released WWE Superstar Breaks Silence On Departure
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Priscilla Kelly, known to WWE fans as Gigi Dolin, has shared a deeply personal and emotional reflection on her WWE release. She has also touched on the challenging period leading up to it. Kelly, who was released from her WWE contract on May 2nd, 2025, alongside several other NXT and main roster talents, took to social media on June 1st with a new promo video. The video showed Kelly burning trinkets related to her WWE career. It also included a recreation of the phone call where she received news of her release. In the message, Kelly spoke of feeling like she "had lost everything." More news: WWE News: Steve Austin Reveals Real-Life Vince McMahon Confrontation She elaborated on her internal struggles: "I had everything. Everything I worked so hard for so long to achieve and somewhere along the way, I lost myself. Almost entirely." She continued, "I became a shell of the girl I knew. I didn't even recognize the body I saw in the mirror." COLOGNE, GERMANY - NOVEMBER 07: A WWE Logo at the WWE Live Tryout at the Motorworld on November 7, 2018 in Cologne, Germany. COLOGNE, GERMANY - NOVEMBER 07: A WWE Logo at the WWE Live Tryout at the Motorworld on November 7, 2018 in Cologne, revealed a period of profound questioning. "I had asked myself time and time again, did I even love this anymore? I had been through so much in my childhood and in my adult life that I thought surely nothing, and I mean nothing, could break me. But it did," she confessed. "I found myself picking up pieces of my dream, not knowing what glue would be strong enough to put it back together." A significant turning point for Kelly was a serious injury. "Well, it turns out that glue was a torn and flipped meniscus on a Friday morning. I spent every day of my recovery putting myself back together," she explained. This period of rehabilitation seemingly led to a renewed sense of purpose and determination. "I came back with a vengeance and one goal. Show everyone what the hell I'm capable of," Kelly declared. "Break every assumption, every doubt. Bring back a part of me that I thought was dead and work my ass off until... I sat with my thoughts." She ended her reflection on the release with a stark admission: "It had felt like I had experienced a death. Maybe I did." At the time of her release, Kelly was part of an NXT faction with Shotzi (who also recently exited WWE after her contract was not renewed) and Tatum Paxley. Kelly has already had her first post-WWE independent wrestling dates announced, signaling her intent to showcase her capabilities on her own terms in this new chapter of her career. More WWE News: For more on WWE, head to Newsweek Sports.
Newsweek
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Newsweek
Released WWE Star Set For In-Ring Return
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Just weeks after her WWE release, Jakara Jackson, now wrestling under the name Mara Sadè, has her first significant post-WWE match announced, and it's a world championship opportunity. On Wednesday, Jersey Championship Wrestling (JCW) revealed that Sadè will challenge Masha Slamovich for the JCW World Championship at their July 6th event in Asbury Park, New Jersey, provided Slamovich is still the champion by then. Jackson was released from her WWE contract on May 2, 2025. Shortly after the news broke, she took to social media with a determined video message, making it clear she intends to continue and make a significant impact in her wrestling career. "Do I wish that I could have shown the world what I can do on my own? Hell yes," Sadè stated in the video. "And the way I see it, I'm still going to get that opportunity, just in a different way." Initially indicating she would be known as Miss Jackson, she has since updated her social media profiles to reflect her new ring name, Mara Sadè. More news: WWE News: Steve Austin Reveals Real-Life Vince McMahon Confrontation Jackson signed with WWE in early 2021 as part of a Performance Center recruitment class. She primarily competed on NXT Level Up. She was later prominently featured on NXT television as part of the Meta-Four faction, alongside Oro Mensah, Noam Dar, and Lash Legend, often serving as a valet and occasional competitor. COLOGNE, GERMANY - NOVEMBER 07: A WWE Logo at the WWE Live Tryout at the Motorworld on November 7, 2018 in Cologne, Germany. COLOGNE, GERMANY - NOVEMBER 07: A WWE Logo at the WWE Live Tryout at the Motorworld on November 7, 2018 in Cologne, moments included her participation in the NXT Women's Championship #1 Contender's Battle Royal in July 2023 and the NXT Women's Breakout Tournament in October 2023. In a case of showing off WWE's then-growing openness to inter-promotional appearances, her most recent televised match before her WWE release actually occurred at TNA Rebellion in April 2025. *JCW BIRTHDAY UPDATE* *JCW World Title Match* MASHA SLAMOVICH (if still champ) vs MARA SADE (fka Jakara Jackson) Plus: Tremont vs Mad Dog Get Tix: Sun 7/6 - 5PM Asbury Park NJ The House of Independents — Jersey Championship Wrestling (@JerseyCW) May 28, 2025 This is where she teamed with her Meta-Four stablemate Lash Legend in a four-way tag team match for the TNA Knockouts Tag Team Championship, which was ultimately won by Heather By Elegance and Ash By Elegance. This upcoming JCW World Championship match against a renowned talent like Masha Slamovich provides Mara Sadè with an immediate high-profile platform to showcase her abilities as she starts on this new chapter of her career. It appears that she plans to continue wrestling on a full-time basis. More WWE News: For more on WWE, head to Newsweek Sports.
