Top 5 Wrestling News Stories Of The Week 05/05: Released WWE Stars Compete At NJPW, City For John Cena’s Final WWE Match Revealed & The Wrestling World Mourns The Death Of ECW Legen Sabu
Each and every week, the weird and wonderful world of professional wrestling never fails to captivate fans with a plethora of captivating stories that make their way into the news cycle.
Whether it’s shocking upsets, dramatic showdowns, or behind-the-scenes drama, the happenings within professional wrestling always keep fans on the edge of their seats.
Here are the Top Five Wrestling News Stories of the Week.
5. WWE Night Of Champions Returning To Saudi Arabia
WWE has announced it will return to Saudi Arabia for Night Of Champions on 28th June.
It marks the first Premium Live Event to emanate from Saudi Arabia since Crown Jewel on 2nd November 2024. It was a memorable night that saw Cody Rhodes defeat Gunther to lift the men’s Crown Jewel Championship, whilst Liv Morgan claimed victory over Nia Jax to capture the women’s equivalent of the prestigious title.
Night Of Champions will mark WWE’s first visit to Kingdom Arena in Riyadh. Previous events held at the 26,000 seat venue include Tyson Fury battling Oleksandr Usyk for the Undisputed Heavyweight Boxing Championship as well as Anthony Joshua’s emphatic victory over Francis Ngannou.
The show will be the 13th Premium Live Event held by WWE in Saudi Arabia, with the company also slated to present the 2026 edition of the Royal Rumble from the country in January.
4. AEW Tag Team Cut From Company’s Roster
Three names have now left AEW.
The company’s roster page has removed Sarah Stock as a coach, although news of her impending exit had broken in April. However, more surprisingly, a tag team has also been removed from the roster page, as Dutch and Vincent of The Righteous have also disappeared. PWInsider have since confirmed that The Righteous left AEW around the end of April.
The Righteous had several AEW matches beginning in 2023, but the tag team was mainly used in Tony Khan’s Ring of Honor. Dutch and Vincent’s highest-profile match during this run came when they challenged MJF in a two-on-one match for the ROH Tag Team Championship at WrestleDream in 2023. MJF won the bout despite his tag team partner, Adam Cole, missing the action due to a serious ankle injury.
Dutch and Vincent had their final Ring of Honor match in April 2025 when they teamed with The Premier Athletes to defeat Spanish Announce Project & The Kingdom.
3. Multiple Released WWE Stars Compete At NJPW Resurgence
There were some former WWE stars in action at the NJPW Resurgence event in California.
At the NJPW Resurgence event in Ontario, California on May 9th, The Young Bucks duo of Matthew & Nicholas Jackson had some familiar teammates in an eight-man tag team match.
Former WWE Tag Team Champions Karl Anderson & Luke Gallows, released by WWE in February, teamed up with the Bucks against the War Dogs in a tag team match. Karl Anderson got the win for his team with the Magic Killer.
WWE also released Blair Davenport in February, and she made a surprising, unannounced appearance at NJPW Resurgence.
Davenport used her pre-WWE name of Bea Priestley as she issued an open challenge while noting that her 90-day non-compete clause had expired on that day. Priestley’s open challenge was answered by Viva Van and Priestley went on to win a short match.
2. City For John Cena’s Final WWE Match Revealed
John Cena’s final bout will take place in Boston, Massachusetts.
The legendary Superstar is on a global farewell tour having announced that he would bring down the curtain on his storied in-ring career at the end of 2025 during a surprise appearance at Money In The Bank on 6th July 2024.
The former ‘Doctor Of Thuganomics’ will bid goodbye to his in-ring career in December, with WCVB revealing that the 17-time World Champion’s final bout will take place in December at the TD Garden in Boston, less than 50 miles from Cena’s home town of West Newbury, Massachussetts.
1. ECW Legend Sabu Dies 2 Weeks After Final Match
Legendary ECW star Sabu has sadly passed away at the age of 60.
The shock news, broken on 11th May by PW Insider’s Mike Johnson, comes less than four weeks removed from Sabu’s retirement match in Las Vegas, Nevada on 18th April. The two-time ECW World Heavyweight Champion defeated Joey Janela on that night in a brutal No Rope Barbed Wire match at GCW Spring Break 9.
Sabu’s final public appearance came during the Tri-State Wrestling Alliance Reunion Show at the old ECW Arena, just one week before his untimely passing.
Tributes have begun to flood in from the wrestling world following the announcement of Sabu’s passing.
Former ECW star Bully Ray led the tributes, describing Sabu as a ‘pioneer’ whilst the likes of Matt Cardona, Sami Zayn and The Blue Meanie have all been quick to pay their respects to a legend of the industry.