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WWE

As the end of 2025 is rapidly approaching, it also means that TNA are nearing the time of year where a number of their performers are at the end of their respective contracts. In 2024, TNA bid farewell to the likes of Josh Alexander, “Speedball” Mike Bailey, Rhino, KUSHIDA, and Jade Chung, with Jordynne Grace wrapping up her time with TNA at the beginning of 2025, and in the latest edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer assessed the direction of some current TNA stars who are nearing the end of their deals.

It was already established that the likes of The Hardys and The IInspiration are nearing the end of their deals and that TNA would like to retain their services given that they are both in possession of the TNA Tag Team and TNA Knockouts Tag Team Championships. With that said, another group who are nearing the end of their deals are The Rascalz, Trey Miguel and Zachary Wentz, who now have the chance to reunite with former stablemate Wes Lee as he was recently released by WWE.

One man who Meltzer believes could be on the way to WWE is Laredo Kid, who recently announced that he had left TNA after working for the company on and off since 2017. Meltzer believes that Kid is signing a deal with WWE as part of AAA, a company Kid has been a part of long before WWE purchased them earlier this year, and even before TNA announced a working partnership with them in the 2010s. Meltzer claims that Kid will most likely be reuniting with Octagon Jr., who is also under a contract with WWE through working for AAA.

There is one performer who Meltzer can see moving away from TNA and any company associated with them and that’s Cedric Alexander. Given his history with the team now known as The Hurt Syndicate in AEW, combined with how highly MVP has spoken about him in recent months, that AEW would be the logical destination for Alexander. Meltzer sees the up side in this move as it allows The Hurt Syndicate to work trios matches without forcing MVP to wrestle, and Alexander could work a strong match with a lot of the AEW roster thanks to his history with a number of them in PWG and ROH. However, Meltzer doesn’t think AEW needs to sign anyone right now unless they are a needle mover, which Alexander isn’t, meaning that he would get lost in the shuffle if a Hurt Syndicate reunion didn’t work out.

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AEW security takes the use of Molotov cocktails seriously.

In the closing moments of Dynamite this week, Darby Allin was tackled to the ground as he appeared intent on throwing fire at Jon Moxley. The quick reaction from security led some to believe they might not have known the moment was part of the show.

On Sunday, our own Bryan Alvarez posted an update on X for subscribers, writing:

“Security guy on Dynamite, Sam, was 100% smartened up on the Darby spot, but he wanted to make it look legit, like what would happen if some lunatic actually pulled out a bomb or something on a show. Heâ€s been working security for wrestling dating back to ECW Atlas security days.â€

Sam Hemingway is the head of security for AEW. Two days after the segment on Dynamite, he posted the following message to social media:

“My actions had nothing to do with the ‘show’ and everything to do with the safety of others. You can debate the tackle. I’m just glad we’re not dealing with the alternative headlines that read unhinged AEW talent seriously injured Jacksonville fans. Numerous lawsuits are filed.”

Up next in the Darby Allin vs. Jon Moxley feud is an I Quit match scheduled for AEW WrestleDream on October 18 in St. Louis. Moxley previously defeated Allin in a Coffin Match at AEW All Out last month in Toronto.

My actions had nothing to do with the “show” and everything to do with the safety of others. You can debate the tackle. I’m just glad we’re not dealing with the alternative headlines that read unhinged AEW talent seriously injured Jacksonville fans. Numerous lawsuits are filed. pic.twitter.com/xR0dZUnSfB

— Sam (@Security__Sam) October 11, 2025

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This Weekâ€s Wrestling Observer Newsletter

The new issue of the  Wrestling Observer Newsletter is up on the site:

*In depth with the changes in ratings, are pro wrestling and MMA being undercounted, are they less popular than we thought, how the changes have happened, streaming, how this relates to baseball, football, and other entertainment shows.
*John Cena’s last matches, and the surprises in current WWE booking plans for now until December.
*A look at Crown Jewel and WrestleDream, the cards, how the shows look and the current interest level in them.
*Favorites in the betting in all the major future matches
*A look at The Smashing Machine, the heyday of Mark Kerr, the box office and what we’ve learned, comparisons with Iron Claw, the performances by Dwayne Johnson Emily Blunt and Ryan Bader and the Pride Grand Prix in 2000 with Sakuraba vs. Gracie and key what ifs that people don’t’ talk about
*All In Texas attendance and how much the state will be paying AEW based on the deal, plus original plans for that week and three shows that were once thought and talked about but didn’t happen with two international promotions.
*Full coverage of UFC 320, what’s next for the winners, the business side of things and match-by-match.
*The most complete and detailed look at the ratings for all the major shows as well as comparisons with last year, segment-by-semgent notes, demos and more.
*Expectations of when a major milestone in history of buildings that house wrestling will be reached and when 1 million fans in one specific building attending wrestling in a year is expected
*King  of Pro Wrestling thoughts
*New Japan’s last major show looked at
*40th anniversary of a landmark tag team event taking place
*Hulk Hogan’s widow looking at medical malpractice suit
*Death of the former Sabrina
*Dave Bautista makes surprising revelation
*Mistico vs. Bndido in Xalapa
*Renee Dupree talks the old WWE locker room
*Bound for Glory notes
*Lots of injury and contract updates
*The story of Ultimo Dragon’s ten belts and Mercedes Mone beating that record
*Sting’s son has his first match
*Advance tickets sales for the WWE & AEW shows over the next two months
*The strange secret suspension of  Conor McGregor
*More on the White House show
*MMA Fight of the year on the Dana White Contenders Series
*Has the WWE boom period ended or is it ending?
*The WWE product right now
*Jimmy Jacobs talks differences in backstage at WWE and TNA

This Weekâ€s Back Issue

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Friday Update

Photo: Mercedes Mone

Garrett Gonzlaes and I did week three of our Hall of Fame series with Phil Lions, Ethan Tyler, John Muse and myself taking the non-wrestler ballot and historical significance of Bobby Bruns, Morris Sigel, Ted Turner, Stanley Weston, Koichi Yoshizawa, George Scott as well as announcers like Gorilla Monsoon , Mike Tenay,  Dave Brown and Jesse Ventura.  Plus we talked about all the current news before the Hall of Fame show such as  WWE future plans, AEW booking philosophy, Smashing Machine, Bill Watts booking vs. modern booking and even Tony Khan’s legacy and how it will be defined.  Our weekend show with Bryan Alvarez will be taped tomorrow night and cover Crown Jewel and the rest of the weekend news.

–AEW shot an angle at the New York Comic Con today where Darby Allin attacked Jon Moxley.

–Mercedes Mone beat Alissa Ink today in Denmark to win the Bodyslam Wrestling women’s title.  Ink had held the title for more than three years.  It is Mone’s tenth belt and she goes for 11, the supposed beating of the Ultimo Dragon record a week from Sunday for Winnipeg Pro Wrestling against Jody Threat.

–There are several WWE cuts today.  The names who have stated so publicly are Stevie Turner, Jamar Hampton, Lloyd  Anoa’i (Samu’s son), and Zara Zakher.  There are a lot of thoughts and conjectures regarding the WWE ID program.

–UFC announced that its final PPV show ever, or  at least for seven more years, will be 12/6 from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

–Tony Khan turned 43 today.  It’s a completely different wrestling world than before.  Khan would have to be classified as the most influential person outside WWE on the U.S. wrestling scene in at least a quarter-century.

–Arena Mexico tonight has a Cibernetico with Marcela, Zeuxis, Sanely, Skadi, and Tabata in the women’s tournament of champions as the main event.  In a non-title match and the real main event, The Sky Team of Mistico & Mascara Dorada & Neon face Angel de Oro & Nieba Roja & Bárbaro Cavernario.  Tessa Blanchard also returns and faces Lluvia.

–Dorada & Neon vs. Barboza & Difunt headlines tomorrow night at Arena Coliseo.  Sunday’s main event is Atlantis Jr. & Esfinge in a non-title match against Angel de Oro & Niebla Roja.  Puebla on Monday has Mistico & Templario vs. Angel de Oro & NIiebla Roja in another non-title match.

–In a strange story, AAA has a show in Tijuana on 11/29, head-to-head with Survivor Series in San Diego.  The buildings are 19 miles apart Â

–The shows on the 17th and 24th at Arena Mexico will be on PPV in the U.S. on Triller.  Next Friday has Mone vs. Persephone for the CMLL women’s title, the finals of the Universal women’s tournament (India Sioux vs. the winner of a Cibernetico tonight)and an all women’s show.  The following week will be the women’s Grand Prix show.

–Crown Jewel will start at 8 a.m. Eastern and 5 a.m. Pacific tomorrow morning from Perth, Western Australia:
Roman Reigns vs. Bronson Reed in an Australian street fight
Rhea Ripley & Iyo Sky vs. Asuka & Kairi Sane
John Cena vs. AJ Styles
Stephanie Vaquer vs. Tiffany Stratton for Crown Jewel belt
Cody Rhodes vs. Seth Rollins for Crown Jewel belt

–We’re looking for reports on NXT house shows tonight in Detroit and tomorrow night in Cleveland as well as any dark matches from today’s Smackdown show in Perth, results, finishes and highlights to dave@wrestlingobserver.com

–We are doing polls for these shows
*Crown Jewel tomorrow morning
*TNA Bound for Glory Sunday night
*New Japan King of Pro Wrestling Monday morning
We’re looking for a thumbs up, thumbs down or thumbs in the middle along with a best and worst match to dave@wrestlingobserver.com

–UFC has a pure ESPN+ show tomorrow from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil starting at 4 p.m.Eastern
Luan Lacerda (36) vs. Salmon Oliveira (144) – Oliveira missed weight by eight pounds.  The match is still on as best we know with Oliveira being fined
Julia Polastri (116) vs. Karolina Kowalkiewicz (116)
Lucas Rocha (126) vs. Stewart Nicoli (126)
Ria Mesquita (136) vs. Irina Alekseeva (135.5)
Vitor Petrino (250) vs. Thomas Petersen (246.5)
Jafel Filho (126) vs.Clayton Carpenter (126)
Lucas Almeida (145.5) s. Michae Aswell (145.5)
Ricardo Ramos (146) vs. Kaan Ofli (145.5)
Jhonata Diniz (257) vs. Mario Pint  (255)
Vicente Luque (170) vs. Joel Alvarez (171)
Deiveson Figueiredo (136) vs. Montell Jackson (136)
Chariles Oliveira (156) vs. Mateusz Gambort (156)
–Alex Pereira said today that X-Rays and an MRI confirm he suffered a broken foot in his quick massacre of Magomed Anakalaev this past Saturday in winning back the light heavyweight title.  He did say he would like to move to heavyweight and fight Jon Jones on the 6/14 White House show.

–Tony Khan on Wednesday night said that could have been the last AEW show at Daily’s Place until the new Jaguars Stadium is completed.  That is expected to happen in the summer of 2028.

–Ilja Dragunov turned 32 today.  Ripper Collins, the Hawaii legend, was born 92 year ago today.  Giant Haystacks was born 79 years ago today. (thanks to Tony Richards)

–House of Glory Wrestling is live on Triller TV+ tonight from New York with Killer Kross vs. Matt Cardona, Charles Mason vs. Man Like DeReiss in a no DQ match for the HOG title, Hardys vs.  Mane Event with the TNA tag title vs. HOG tag tite, Leon Slater vs. Amazing Red, Zilla Fatu vs. Bear Bronson for the Crown Jewel title and Indi Hartwell vs. Zayda Steel for the women’s title.

–NBC Chicago has a food TV show called Poochie & Pang Eat Chicago and in the latest episode, Kyle Fletcher & Skye Blue appear as guest food critics.

–Lucha Va Voom, which had been running at the Mayan Theater in Los Angeles, which is being closed, will be moving to the Fox Theater in Pomona starting 11/8.  TJP,  Magno, Misteriso Jr. and others are on the part wrestling and part burlesque show.

–Pro Wrestling Revolucion tomorrow night in San Jose, CA at Mount Pleasant High School has Blue Panther vs. Hechicero as the main event plus Templario is on the show;

–Five-time NCAA champion Carter Starocci faces Nate Jackson on the second RAF show on 10/25 at Penn State University.  Starocci won his NCAA titles wrestling for Penn State.

–The Tragos/Thesz Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame in Waterloo,  IA announced that 11/9 will be a celebration of Curt Hennig.  Those in attendance will be Curt’s wife Leonis, son Hank and AWA historian Joyce Paustian.

–Jacy Jayne needed to be helped out of the ring last night at the NXT house show in Columbus, OH.  It was a leg injury and no update yet on the severity.

–Brawl in the Beer Hall II at the Lakefront Brewery in Milwaukee from Sunday before a sellout of 300+  Sam Beale b Jason Hotch,Sierra b Tootie Lynn, Latino Most Wanted b Bang & Matthews to keep the Pro Wrestling Revolver tag titles, Mad Dog Connelly b Bestsman in a dog collar match, Ben Bishop b Matt Cardona,  Outrunners b Hot Commodity (thanks to Jim Kujawa)

–Kirk White’s Big Time WRestling 29th anniversary show sold out in Newark, CA last Friday:  Danhausen b Jheri Giggalow, VertVixen b Brooke Havok, LJ Ceary b Marcus Lewis, Timothy Thatcher b Mo Jabari, Los Suavecitos b Jorel Nelson & Royce Isaacs, Aaron Solo b Jack Cartwheel, QT Marshall b Will  Hobbs.  Next show is 12/5 with Killer Kros & Scarlett Bordeaux.  Bret Hart was at the show and gave a speech to honor the late Kirk White, who was Hart’s booking agent for many years. (thanks to Jim Davis)

–MCW on 10/11 in Frederick MD at the Elks #604.  Chris Masters and Patrick Clark are on the show.

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The injury bug just wonâ€t stop fluttering around the Florida Panthers.

After starting the season with three key players on LTIR – Sasha Barkov, Matthew Tkachuk and Tomas Nosek – Florida was forced to finished Thursdayâ€s game against the Philadelphia Flyers down a man due to an apparent injury.

Defenseman Dmitry Kulikov left Floridaâ€s 2-1 victory over the Flyers with just under 10 minutes left in the second period and did not return.

The play saw Kulikov go awkwardly into the boards after attempting a body check in the neutral zone.

He immediately skated to the bench afterwards, skating slowly across the ice and gingerly holding his right arm.

Soon after, the Panthers officially ruled him out with an upper-body injury.

After the game, Florida Head Coach Paul Maurice did not have much of an update on his veteran blueliner.

“We’ll get him looked at tomorrow and then we’ll give you a better idea,†Maurice said.

If Kulikov is unable to play, Uvis Balinskis will slot into his spot in Floridaâ€s lineup and next to Jeff Petry on the third defensive pairing.

The Panthers will practice on Friday in Fort Lauderdale before hosting the Ottawa Senators on Saturday.

Mauriceâ€s next opportunity to provide an update will be after Fridayâ€s skate.

Stay tuned.

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Photo caption: May 6, 2024; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers defenseman Dmitry Kulikov (7) looks on against the Boston Bruins during the first period in game one of the second round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Amerant Bank Arena. (Sam Navarro-Imagn Images)

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MLW was recently hiring staff for a new weekly series, and now thereâ€s finally an update on a possible TV deal for Major League Wrestling.

In recent weeks, there have been discussions about MLWâ€s upcoming weekly show. Speculation suggested that the series could be a revival of MLW Fusion, which was Major League Wrestlingâ€s previously discontinued show.

Amid this, a new report surfaced by Mike Johnson, PWInsider, that disclosed that the head of MLW, Court Bauer, was recently spotted in Los Angeles just days after the companyâ€s Slaughterhouse show. The source added that Bauer was meeting with potential media partners.

MLW was already hiring staff for its post-production team. So, there is a possibility that the head of the company might be selling its product to the prospective partners.

A major ex-WWE star is now a top heel in MLW

Former WWE star Matt Riddle is presently working in MLW. During the recent Slaughterhouse event, Riddle used a low blow to secure the victory, which is a usual heel tactic.

He even cut a heel promo in front of the crowd, declaring that the “King of Bros is dead†and the new era is of “Rude Dude.â€

According to a report from Fightful Select, MLW was planning Riddleâ€s heel turn since late in the summer. The companyâ€s decision was two-fold. First, they believed that he company needed more top heels, and second, fans had been turning on Matt Riddle in recent months. Due to this, Major League Wrestling was not interested in fighting it. In addition, Riddle even said that his recent “scuffle†with a TMZ host was designed to drum up interest in the heel turn.

With the heel turn in MLW, it appears that Riddle is now one of the top heels in the company.

Read More: Vince McMahon Due In Court In Connecticut Next Week

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This Weekâ€s Wrestling Observer Newsletter

The new issue of the  Wrestling Observer Newsletter is up on the site:

• Updates on Crown Jewel and WrestleDream, interest level, lineups and what could be added
• Notes on Tuesdayâ€s AEW/NXT head-to-head battle
• Odds regarding upcoming big matches
• Tokyo Dome ticket sales and notes from Hiroshi Tanahashi and Aaron Wolf
• NXT No Mercy coverage
• New Japan Destruction in Kobe notes
• CMLL Noche de Campeones notes
• Fuerza Guerrera retires with a look back at his career
• Television ratings are crazy this week and what is the change
• One of the most impressive attendance streaks in history has ended
• CMLLâ€s focus on women’s wrestling in October
• Tessa Blanchard back in CMLL
• AAA goes head-to-head with CMLL featuring AEW and WWE stars on each show
• Saya Kamitani becomes double champion
• Go Shiozaki leaves NOAH
• King of Pro Wrestling show finalized
• Mistico vs. Bandido singles match this past week
• Bret Hart talks his career and we look back at what he said
• New wrestling documentaries
• European star may have cost himself his career with full details as to what happened
• MLW makes comment on WWE business on its TV show
• Upcoming TNA TV news
• Thoughts on Andradeâ€s return to AEW and what happened
• History of pro wrestling on the SuperStation
• Zuffa Boxing TV deal and notes on the promotion
• Dana White on 60 Minutes coverage
• How UFC went from almost dying to a $15 billion business, the moves it made and how Vince McMahon killed one of its biggest TV deals
• What happened with Wanderlei Silvaâ€s boxing match after it was over
• Notes on stockholder lawsuit against TKO
• WWE top star to take time off for major movie role
• WWE headed to Japan for big shows
• Injury updates
• Updates on Edris Enofe and Jazmyn Nyx leaving the company

This Weekâ€s Back Issue

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Wednesday Update

WWE

• WWE uploaded the complete Hardy Boyz vs. DarkState match from NXT last night, which saw Matt & Jeff Hardy get the victory to become the new NXT Tag Team Champions. They will be defending both the NXT & TNA Tag Team titles against The Dudleys in a tables match at TNA Bound for Glory this Sunday.
• PWInsider reported that the word at NXT last night was that WWE was looking to have TJP serve as a guest coach at the Performance Center later this month.
• TKO will announce its third quarter financial results on Wednesday, November 5:
  • TKO Group Holdings, Inc., a premium sports and entertainment company, will release its third quarter 2025 results after market hours on Wednesday, November 5, 2025. The live teleconference to discuss these results and provide a business update is scheduled for 5 p.m. ET / 2 p.m. PT the same day.
• Xavier Woods confirmed that he has signed a new WWE contract: “How do yall know this stuff? I didnt say anything! But yes. You’re gonna see my sexy face for a while longer even though you dont deserve it. 22 years in the game and about to make the next bit even better than the rest. @WWEâ€
• On ESPNâ€s Ahora o Nunca, Stephanie Vaquer reflected on winning the Womenâ€s World Championship at Wrestlepalooza:
  • It was the best [match] of my career so far, and the result of the match was the dream of my life.
  • I’m proud because it wasn’t just a match for the most important championship, it was against one of the best in the world, Iyo Sky, someone I’ve admired for many years. So, the fact that I could compete for this title with her proved in the ring why we are both among the best in the world right now.
  • It was very emotional to reach gorilla after the match and have everyone applaud and congratulate me, not just the producers and coaches, but the people I work with every day. Someone as important as Triple H, who for me is not only my boss but someone I’ve admired for a long time, not only as a wrestler but also as a businessman now in charge of the WWE family.
• The Miz is celebrating his 45th birthday today. On Instagram, John Cena gave a nod to his old rival by posting a photo of Miz.
• WWE Vault put together a compilation video on the story of Ravenâ€s Flock in WCW from 1997-1998.

Other Wrestling

• On a new episode of her Close Up interview show, Renee Paquette spoke with AEW Womenâ€s World Champion Kris Statlander.
• Adam Cole is part of the voice cast for the new video game “Curiosity†from DarkBear Studios that launched on Steam and Steam Deck starting today. Here is how the game is described:
  • In Curiosity, players embody a small but determined cat on a perilous climb home. Every leap requires precision, patience, and persistence: one mistake can send you tumbling down. With nine lives to spare (and consequences for losing them all), players must master every jump, uncover mysterious lore, and survive a journey thatâ€s as emotional as it is demanding.
  • Drawing inspiration from titles like Only Up and Getting Over It, Curiosity offers a modern evolution of the genre: combining the viral tension of vertical climbing games with a rich story;  a hand-crafted world, and traditional platforming elements like secrets, collectibles, checkpoints, and even potential skips for the most daring players.
• Bandido vs. Hechicero for the ROH World Championship is set to air on this Thursdayâ€s episode of ROH TV. The match is from a CMLL event that took place on October 3 and is a rematch of their highly praised Death Before Dishonor title bout.
• Sareee defending the IWGP Womenâ€s Championship against Alex Windsor is among the other matches airing on Thursdayâ€s ROH TV.
• Here is the lineup for Thursdayâ€s Bound for Glory go-home edition of TNA Impact:
  • TNA World Champion Trick Williams kicks off the show ahead of his Bound for Glory title defense against Mike Santana
  • No DQ match: Joe Hendry vs. Eric Young
  • Matt Cardona vs. Ryan Nemeth
  • Mustafa Ali vs. JDC
  • Bound for Glory contract signing with TNA Knockouts World Champion Kelani Jordan and Indi Hartwell
• On Insight with Chris Van Vliet, Scarlett Bordeaux said she felt WWE was “misogynistic” in how they handled her contract situation by saying that they would get to her new deal once Karrion Kross had sorted his contract out:
  • One of the last questions before the 24-hour notice was given, [Kross] asked where I stood in all these contract negotiations. And they said, ‘We’ll get to her once we’re done with you,’ which I took as them using me as leverage against him. I do feel like if he agreed within the 24 hours that they would have offered me something, would it have been the same amount as it was before? Would it have been less? I don’t know. But all in all, it felt like a massive, massive red flag, and I did feel like it did come off a bit misogynistic, because originally I was hired before [Kross], and the idea that I have no value without him, and it’s only determined by whether or not he signs, that came off as very misogynistic to me.
• SoCal Val interviewed Velvet Sky for WrestlingNewsCo.

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October 8, 2025 | Paul Stimpson

As we continue to drive forward the pledges in Table Tennis United, it has been a busy month on the domestic and international scenes.

The new season is now well under way, with membership up and competitions flourishing; there has been success on the international stage for competitors of all ages; and of course, we are preparing to host WTT Star Contender London!

Here are the latest updates, mapped to the pledges.

Pledge 1 – Table tennis will be a thriving community – a sport for everyone with no barriers to taking part

Since the new membership season launched on 1 August, more than 26,675 members have joined or renewed – overall 7% ahead of last yearâ€s pace and continuing the steady year-on-year growth weâ€ve seen since the pandemic. Itâ€s great to see the strong uptake among women and girls, up 13% year to date, reinforcing our commitment to Levelling the Table. Weâ€ve also seen an 18% increase in under-11 memberships, a vital step in strengthening the pathway and securing the long-term future of the sport.

Competitions

While local leagues are getting back into the swing of things, weâ€re also pushing ahead with our national competition plans, and Iâ€m pleased to report the 2025/26 British Clubs Leagues season is a record-breaker, with new tiers, more teams and more divisions. 374 teams will compete in 40 divisions across every category and for the first time ever, the Senior British Clubs League will feature a sixth tier of competition, with two divisions at that level. A total of 18 divisions this season, up from 16 last season.

Weâ€ve also announced a new format for the Mark Bates Ltd National Championships, which will be an even bigger and better occasion for players and spectators in 2026, with a refreshed format that brings qualifying and the main draw together under one roof.

The Sussex 4* was a great success, with 180+ entrants. This was the third of this new series of events to take place, following Cleveland (May) and Nottingham (June). As anticipated, each one has been larger and more successful than the last, as confidence and familiarity grows, and the ‘series†becomes more established and embedded with the TTE community.

Following Sussex, there are further events in the 25/26 Calendar in Cardiff (Dec), Jersey (Apr), Cleveland (May), Wrexham (May/ June; TBC) and Nottingham (June; TBC). Please see here for details.

Active discussions are ongoing with a number of other organisers about additional 4* events. We welcome all assistance to help identify and establish additional Local Organising Groups at area level to create new capacity and resource. Clearly these new opportunities will only be successful if supported by the TTE players and community.

Workforce

The Coaching team have been developing TTEâ€s new Coach Development Framework. This framework sets out the future learning and development journey for coaches and aligns closely with the upcoming Player Development Framework. We are excited to officially launch this in the new year.

This game-changing framework represents a major step forward in our coach development pathway, introducing new role-based qualifications, innovative coach development programmes, and more than 200 bespoke video resources to support learning and practice.

In the meantime, we are delivering several Level 1 qualifications across the country, which will be mapped directly into the new framework. Alongside this, we continue to offer CPD opportunities for coaches, including in-person Multiball workshops (available via Sport:80), ensuring coaches can continue to grow, share, and connect right now. The coach development team is also designing an exciting CPD timetable for the year ahead, with plenty of opportunities for coaches to come together, learn, and progress.

Weâ€re pushing forward at pace, so please keep an eye out for further updates and opportunities to get involved.

The grassroots workforce is critical to the success of our sport and we continue to grow and develop officials, including tournament organisers and umpires – click here to see the latest courses which are open to anyone interested.

Pledge 2 – Culture change across the pathway that inspires world-class performances and medal success

England squads in action

Just before the Star Contender, we are proud to be hosting ITTF World Hopes Week at the Elite Training Centre in Sheffield (13-19 Oct), a global talent identification event that brings some of the best U12 young players in the world for intensive training and competition, as well as a chance for their coaches to network and learn from each other. The goal is to develop the next generation of table tennis champions and serving as a crucial step in the ITTF’s Hopes Programme for talent discovery.

Congratulations to Amber Lemmon and Jayden Xuen Chen, who qualified via the England Hopes Week tournament, and to Dimitar Dimitrov, who will also be at World Hopes Week by virtue of his world ranking.

Our Senior England squad will be competing at the European Championships in Croatia in October and we wish them the very best of fortune. The championships, and the corresponding continental tournaments around the world will decide which nations qualify for next yearâ€s World Championships – though, as host nation, England will be there anyway.

Congratulations to the four young athletes – Dimitar Dimitrov, Amber Lemmon, Assil Sarri and Sinan Surensoy – who competed at the European Under-13 Championships in Sweden in September.

And well done also to the 10 athletes who represented England at the Euro Mini Championships at the end of August. Amber, Assil and Sinan were also among them, along with Thomas Ellis, Sai Prasanna Kumar, Hannah Saunders, Rishaan Sawant, Lusio Wen, Cindy Xiao and Bethany Yang. Congratulations to Cindy on her seventh-placed finish.

We have also had the good news that Connor Green and Abraham Sellado have qualified by their rankings to compete at the Europe Youth Top 10, which starts in France on Friday.

Pulling on the England shirt for these prestigious tournaments is an important staging post in the development of young athletes and, on that theme, I am delighted that we have also announced the creation of the GB Youth Academy, in partnership with Grantham College and Charles Read Academy. This will enable promising athletes aged 12-18 to combine their educations with high-class practice and give them a better chance of success on the international stage.

Podium success at all ages

Elsewhere on the international front, Iâ€d like to pass on my personal congratulations to a number of athletes of all ages who have achieved success in recent weeks.

Tin-Tin Ho became European Universities champion, winning the Womenâ€s Doubles alongside her University of Nottingham colleague Jiaqi Meng.

VETTS England players won 36 of the 50 gold and silver medals available at the Veterans Home Nations Championships, this year hosted by England.

Kai Lun Chow won singles bronze at the WTT Youth Contender Otocec in Slovenia, while Rohan Dani went one better with doubles silver alongside Prisha Goel of India at the WTT Youth Contender Batumi in Georgia.

At the time of writing, we have seen good victories for Tom Jarvis and Anna Hursey at the China Smash in Beijing, with Anna through to the last 32. Annaâ€s recent success reflects well on everyone involved in the GB pathway based in Sheffield and her performances are turning heads among other nations, as evidenced by Europe No 1 Bernadette Szocs partnering Anna in the Womenâ€s Doubles at the Star Contender London.

Pledge 3 – Connection across the table tennis community

Major events

No fewer than 11 Olympic medallists and a host of top-20 players will be competing at the Copper Box from 21-26 October. Alongside them are a number of home-grown talents, and at the time of writing we are awaiting news of further wildcard places for our athletes.

Ticket sales are going well – so much so that we were able to open up extra capacity at the arena for the weekend sessions. Tickets remain available but are in limited supply for the later sessions – click here to buy.

Table Tennis England members had the opportunity to buy tickets first and at the best price during an exclusive priority window and I am delighted that significant numbers took advantage of this opportunity cementing the membership value proposition. I look forward to seeing our members there.

Stay tuned for big announcements around the World Team Table Tennis Championships 2026 ticketing – we will of course also communicate with our members by email, so I would recommend opting in to email communications if you have not already done so – you can do this in Sport:80. And make sure you become a member, or renew, in order to have fist options on tickets.

Building our digital capability

We have recently announced a partnership with Cloudathlete to transform our members†experience and launch the sport into a bright digital future. Following a thorough tender process, the Sheffield-based company – which already provides the TT Leagues and TT Clubs platforms for us – was appointed as partner for our membership platform and wider digital services.

Our members and the wider sport will see many benefits of this partnership, which marks a significant step forward on our digital journey, reshaping the way we connect with everyone involved in the sport. Weâ€ll be communicating progress on this in the coming months to enable a smooth transition.

Pledge 4 – A high performing organisation that is not just fit for today but is fit for the future

Partnerships

We have strengthened our ties with British Universities & Colleges Sport (BUCS), by progressing towards a Memorandum of Understanding which will bring BUCS players under the TTE umbrella for the first time.

Board

Iâ€d like to welcome two Non-Executive Directors, Leanne Oâ€Leary and Paul Bishop, to the Table Tennis England Board. Leanne has an impressive background in sports law, arbitration and mediation, while Paul has had a long executive career in finance. Their appointments strengthen the Board in key skills, experience, knowledge and diversity.

At the Boardâ€s August meeting, Directors took part in Safeguarding Training presented by the Child Protection in Sport Unit and Ann Craft Trust. In addition, as part of our commitment to ongoing board development, the Sports Governance Academy delivered an interactive session on Board Room Dynamics, which encompassed roles, behaviours and culture.

Governance

We continue to work through updates in our Regulations and supporting documentation including the development of a County Handbook to support the committees of our Counties and their ongoing good governance. We will communicate further when they are available on the website.

People

The final stage of our Transgender Policy consultation has concluded, and we now move forward into the analysis stage. We look forward to presenting our findings at the November Board meeting which includes an analysis of our individual and organisation consultation interviews and follows on from the findings of our online survey conducted in July.

Our Culture Working Group have made great progress on our culture, values and behaviours work and an update to all staff is scheduled to take place in October and Board in November. We look forward to sharing progress following our all-staff day in June.

We undertook our annual staff survey this month with a huge response from the team. We look forward to providing insight into the responses to our teams and supporting action plans that will feed into the in-person conversations that will be held before the end of the year.

It has also been another exciting period for recruitment, as weâ€ve welcomed new team members in Finance, Coach Learning & Development and from November in our Table Tennis Development and Engagement teams. I look forward to meeting with our new starters online and in person in the coming weeks.

As we look ahead, there is much to be excited about — from seeing world-class players compete at WTT Star Contender London this month, to the continued progress weâ€re making on and off the table in preparation for hosting the World Team Table Tennis Championships in 2026.

We look forward to seeing many of you in London. In the meantime, be sure to subscribe to Table Tennis England to stay up to date with the latest news, event information, and exclusive updates as we continue our journey towards the World Championships and beyond.

Best wishes
Sally Lockyer
Table Tennis England CEOÂ

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While the likes of Jazmyn Nyx, Santos Escobar, Scarlett, and Karrion Kross have all left WWE in recent weeks, another talent is reportedly staying with the promotion.

According to Fightful Select, decorated tag team champion Xavier Woods has inked a multi-year deal with WWE, though the action of him signing it is said to have come very close to the expiration of his previous contract. Woods’ preceding WWE deal was reportedly set to end sometime in September 2025, with his new contract also being finalized in the same month. As of now, there is no word on the current contract status of his New Day comrade Kofi Kingston.

Woods, also a former King of the Ring winner, last wrestled in a dark tag match alongside Kingston following the October 3 episode of “WWE SmackDown.” Prior to that, he competed in a no disqualification six-man tag team bout on the September 22 edition of “WWE Raw.” Penta and the War Raiders emerged victorious after the former laid out Grayson Waller with an avalanche Mexican Destroyer.Â

Woods joined WWE in 2010 following a three-year run in TNA Wrestling. Across the last 15 years, he’s enjoyed multiple tag team reigns alongside Kingston and Big E, though the latter has since been banished from The New Day.Â

Along with Woods, Fightful recently reported that former NXT North American Champion Bronson Reed had re-signed to WWE under a multi-year deal. This deal was said to be inked “quite a long time ago.” Reed is scheduled to battle “The OTC” Roman Reigns in an Australian Street Fight at WWE Crown Jewel this Saturday.Â

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According to a new report from Wrestlenomics, the new method Nielsen is using for ratings does not include any data from HBO Max.

Citing a WBD spokesperson, it was stated that when it comes to WBD shows like AEW Dynamite or AEW Collision, “linear viewership information reported by Nielsen (still) does not include HBO Max streaming viewership.†It’s unclear if that would change in the future.

Wrestlenomics also noted the news above doesn’t mean other streaming services like Peacock or Paramount Plus are also not being counted. It’s unknown as of now if they are.

Nielsen recently transitioned to their new “Big Data + Panel” methodology. From our Dave Meltzer’s piecethis past Sunday:

“Nielsen now combines data from its traditional panel homes with information from internet-connected smart TVs, set-top boxes, and other devices. The updated methodology also accounts for viewing in public settings like bars and restaurants, which was a significant factor that was previously difficult to measure. Formerly, most of the data came from 40,000 to 45,000 Nielsen homes. Now there is data coming from more than 45 million homes and 75 million devices and will provide far more data.”

This became newsworthy in the wrestling space last week as wrestling ratings took a big hit, including Dynamite and NXT, in the new system in a way that didn’t affect other types of TV shows quite so much. It’s unclear why it affected wrestling so much and if it will continue to do so as time progresses.

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Santos Escobar might be on his way out of WWE as his contract is up soon with no apparent signs of an extension.

That report comes from Fightful Select Monday who reported that while it was implied he and WWE had discussed an extension, they were unable to confirm whether that has happened.

The Legado del Fantasma member hasn’t been in the ring since appearing in trios matches on WWE SuperShows in Mexico July 26 and 27. He has wrestled just seven times overall this year with two of those appearances coming in battle royals.

The former El Hijo del Fantasma, Escobar signed with WWE in August 2019, got injured while training, and then started with NXT in February 2020 under his real name (Jorge Bolly) which was eventually changed to his current moniker after winning the NXT Cruiserweight title that same year.

He, Joaquin Wilde and Cruz Del Toro were called up to the main roster in October 2022 where he has remained ever since. After splitting with the LWO, Escobar has been aligned with Los Garza.

He was relatively quiet on social media for September, but has began posting pictures of him in a suit from a photo shoot including the following which included an hourglass emoji (seen below).

The 41-year-old is both a former titleholder in CMLL and AAA and has also wrestled for TNA in the past.

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