Hey Wrestling Fans, welcome to MaxxedOut's The Week in Wrestling. This week we deal with the aftermath from Backlash — you'll see our reaction to each match across our socials, and our podcast also touches upon the debut of Mason Rook.
We discuss the complete wrestling summer schedule including AEW and Triple A Lucha along with all the WWE and NXT shows set for the summer season. And we give flowers to a staple in the women's division, Asuka.
Summer 2026: 15 Major Events in 17 Weeks
The 2026 summer wrestling schedule is one of the busiest stretches the industry has seen in years. WWE, AEW, NXT, and Triple A Lucha are all stacking dates back-to-back from now through August — and there's barely a weekend off.
Read the breakdown →
Mason Rook: The Body Is the Gimmick
Mason Rook doesn't fit the NXT prospect template. The lean cut, the cosmetic shoulders, the photogenic walk to the ring — none of it matches. He looks like a guy who got bumped from the front row and decided to stay. That's not a problem the booking has to solve. That's the booking.
Read the take →
The Open Challenge Is a Focus Group
There's a beat right before the answer walks out. That silence isn't suspense. That's creative waiting for the crowd to do the booking for them. The Open Challenge in 2026 isn't a wrestling segment — it's a live audience test.
Read the take →Flowers for Asuka. Reports clarified Asuka's absence is personal, not contractual — WWE didn't want her gone, and she wasn't asked to take a pay cut. A reminder of how much she's meant to the women's division for nearly a decade.
The New Day reportedly AEW-bound. Internal expectation is Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods sign with AEW as soon as their non-competes clear, with overwhelming support inside the company for bringing them in.
CM Punk pulled from European Summer Tour ads. WWE has quietly removed Punk from promo materials for the UK/Europe run. No public explanation yet — status to watch.
Stephen A. Smith on WWE's radar. Internal chatter favors bringing the ESPN commentator in for an onscreen role — notably from people who weren't fans of Pat McAfee's broadcast slot.
Owen Hart Cup brackets unveiled. AEW released full Men's and Women's brackets on Dynamite, with the first women's bout already locked in for Double or Nothing on May 24.
First SmackDown of the three-week build to Clash in Italy. Expect Backlash fallout and the first real signs of how Cody and GUNTHER's road to Turin gets framed.
Confirmed: Cody Rhodes (c) vs. GUNTHER — Undisputed WWE Championship.
Advertised: CM Punk, Liv Morgan, Rhea Ripley, Randy Orton, Oba Femi, Seth Rollins, Trick Williams.