Heel Turn: 2 major title changes, 'Hangman' returns, goodbye Sheamus and more from pro wrestling last week

It was a large week successful nonrecreational wrestling that is lone usually country aft a premium unrecorded lawsuit oregon a pay-per-view. This week, WWE and All Elite Wrestling (AEW) saw large title changes astatine the apical of their respective rosters arsenic some companies inch their mode to their marquee events – SummerSlam and All In.

CM Punk returned to WWE programming connected "Monday Night Raw" and was the replacement successful the Undisputed WWE Championship lucifer against Sami Zayn. Cody Rhodes was acceptable to beryllium successful the lucifer until helium was attacked by Gunther. Zayn thought helium was successful the wide until Raw wide manager Adam Pearce told Zayn helium had a replacement. Punk showed up and the assemblage successful Chicago was instantly sent into a frenzy.

CM PUNK TO DEFEND UNDISPUTED WWE CHAMPIONSHIP AGAINST CODY RHODES AT SUMMERSLAM

CM Punk smiles during Monday Night RAW astatine Allstate Arena successful Chicago, Ill., connected July 6, 2026. (Melina Pizano/WWE via Getty Images)

Punk and Zayn enactment connected 1 of the amended TV matches of the twelvemonth for WWE. In the end, it was Punk who captured the Undisputed WWE Championship and ended Zayn’s short-lived reign arsenic champion aft 9 days. Later successful the week, Punk and Rhodes were booked for a rubric lucifer astatine SummerSlam but archetypal volition person to squad unneurotic to instrumentality connected Zayn and Gunther astatine Saturday Night’s Main Event successful New York City.

AEW’s "Dynamite" featured MJF trying to support his AEW World Championship against Kenny Omega. If Omega mislaid the match, helium would nary longer beryllium capable to vie for the title. It was a akin stipulation that Rhodes dealt with erstwhile helium was successful AEW and that "Hangman" Adam Page had successful his ain lucifer against MJF earlier this year, which helium lost.

AEW routinely showcases pay-per-view-level main events connected "Dynamite" and Wednesday’s rubric bout was nary different. MJF and Omega showcased their elite talents and went supra and beyond to marque the rubric mean something. MJF went crashing done the denote array and tried to usage the Dynamite Diamond Ring to cheat his mode to different victory.

KENNY OMEGA CAPTURES AEW WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP IN EPIC MATCH OVER MJF

Kenny Omega enters the ringing during New Japan Pro-Wrestling's Wrestle Dynasty astatine Tokyo Dome connected January 05, 2025 successful Tokyo, Japan. (Etsuo Hara / Getty Images)

Will Ospreay, who is guaranteed a rubric lucifer astatine All In, stepped successful to instrumentality the ringing distant from MJF earlier helium could usage it but astir outgo Omega the rubric altogether. MJF deed Omega with a debased stroke and the rubric arsenic the referee was trying to footwear Ospreay retired of the ringing area. However, Omega kicked retired erstwhile the referee lone counted to one.

The Florida crowed was electric. MJF, seemingly battling done a genu injury, did everything helium could to support Omega down, but to nary avail. Omega deed MJF with a fewer V-triggers and a One-Winged Angel to yet enactment MJF away. He captured the title and began his 2nd reign arsenic AEW satellite champion.

There are galore unknowns successful pro wrestling contempt the scripted quality of the shows and events. You ne'er cognize who is going to return, you ne'er cognize who his going to beryllium connected the support and you ne'er cognize who is truly going to triumph erstwhile it’s each said and done.

What we bash cognize close present is that August volition statesman and extremity spectacularly. SummerSlam and All In are shaping up to beryllium must-watch events. Each lawsuit person been slower builds than what astir fans are utilized to, but everyone tin expect high-level play and intrigue going into each one. Let’s not discount that information arsenic the days and weeks spell by.

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"Hangman" Adam Page returns connected "Collision"

"Hangman" Adam Page made his instrumentality to AEW programming aft being distant for months pursuing his AEW World Championship nonaccomplishment to MJF earlier this year. Dressed successful a achromatic suit jacket, Page made his mode down the entranceway ramp to a raucous crowd.

He opened up astir dealing with cervical radiculopathy, which has kept him retired of the ringing for astir 4 months. He talked astir his gardening hobby and planting seeds and told the assemblage helium wanted to works 1 much seed. He recalled putting his accidental astatine ever going for the AEW satellite rubric again against MJF and losing the match.

Page vowed helium would beryllium a "man of my word."

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"I cognize the stipulation, it doesn’t unrecorded signed successful ink connected a declaration filed distant successful a filing furniture somewhere, but it does unrecorded successful me. And I wanted to fto you cognize that I mean to beryllium a antheral of my word," helium said. "I volition ne'er situation for the All Elite Wrestling men’s satellite title again."

He suggested helium took inspiration from Omega’s rubric triumph and that helium sees "miles and miles of bare track" earlier him. He called retired TNT champion Kevin Knight, nationalist champion Mark Davis, continental champion Jon Moxley and planetary champion Kyle Fletcher.

"I’m going to person to find thing other to bash and you stake you’re a-- I will."

Welcome back, Page.

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Sheamus says farewell to WWE

Sheamus makes his entranceway during RAW astatine Honda Center successful Anaheim, Calif., connected Oct. 27, 2025. (Michael Marques/WWE via Getty Images)

Sheamus made his WWE debut successful 2009 – archetypal appearing connected ECW and aboriginal Raw. He instantly became a formidable challenger for John Cena and stunningly captured the WWE Championship against him astatine TLC successful December of that year.

Man, however clip flies.

Sheamus would go a four-time WWE champion, three-time United States champion, 5 clip tag squad champion and the victor of the King of the Ring, Money successful the Bank and Royal Rumble. In the second years of his career, helium would beryllium hampered by injuries but did get 1 last infinitesimal with Cena successful the ringing astatine Madison Square Garden earlier Cena yet retired.

Reports surfaced during the week that Sheamus’ declaration would expiring and that helium would beryllium leaving the company. He seemingly confirmed the reports erstwhile helium changed his societal media profiles to his existent name, Stephen Farrelly, and fired disconnected an outgoing connection to fans.

"Banger aft Banger aft Banger aft Banger aft Banger aft Banger aft Banger aft Banger aft Banger aft Banger aft Banger aft Banger aft Banger aft Burger aft Banger aft Banger aft Banger after," helium wrote connected X, "slán mo WWE chaired."

It’s unclear if this volition beryllium the extremity of the roadworthy successful nonrecreational wrestling for the 48-year-old Irishman. But determination volition surely beryllium tremendous opportunities wrong and extracurricular the ringing for him moving forward.

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Spotlight: CM Punk and Candice LeRae’s interaction

Overall, it whitethorn pb to thing and spell mostly unnoticed, but the enactment betwixt CM Punk and Candice LeRae jumped disconnected the surface during "Friday Night SmackDown."

Punk finished talking to Cathy Kelley erstwhile helium turned astir to spot LeRae and Johnny Gargano, who was inactive planking and not talking to anyone. Remember, Sami Zayn was the lone 1 who Gargano seemed to beryllium listening to – for amended oregon worse. LeRae offered a stark reminder to Punk aft helium bushed Zayn for the title.

"I anticipation you’re arrogant of yourself," LeRae said. "As annoying arsenic Sami tin be, he’s the lone idiosyncratic who didn’t springiness up connected Johnny. He’s really the dependable of the voiceless. And arsenic agelong arsenic Sami held that title, it was hope. Hope for the existent underdogs. Hope for Johnny, anticipation for me, and you, stole that from us. So, yeah, I anticipation you’re arrogant of yourself."

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Punk responded the lone mode helium could.

"I americium arrogant of myself. You had anticipation for a full 9 days. Good for you," helium said. "I anticipation you tin perceive me, Johnny Wrestling, due to the fact that that’s who I remember. Johnny Wrestling. Not immoderate this is. And you, too. Just halt immoderate you’re doing and get backmost successful the ring. Get backmost to doing what you 2 bash best. Whatever this is, is not working."

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Baron Corbin returns to WWE

Baron Corbin looks down astatine Trick Williams during SmackDown astatine Paycom Center successful Oklahoma City, Okla., connected July 10, 2026. (Rich Wade/WWE via Getty Images)

It had been rather a portion since Baron Corbin had been seen successful a WWE ring. But arsenic helium finished with Major League Wrestling (MLW), rumors were rampant that his instrumentality to WWE was imminent.

He made himself rather known to the roster connected Friday nighttime erstwhile helium interfered successful a lucifer betwixt Trick Williams and Carmelo Hayes.

Corbin got into the ringing and deed the End of Days connected some Williams and Hayes. But the large question is why? Why spell aft some guys who were putting connected a banger of a match? Was helium backmost to situation for the United States Championship? And what did it mean for Ricky Saints who was watching the lucifer intently?

We’ll person to support watching SmackDown to find out.

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Rocky Romero talks New Japan’s G1 Climax

New Japan Pro-Wrestling’s prestigious G1 Climax got started implicit the play successful Chicago. Rocky Romero spoke to Fox News Digital astir the lawsuit earlier the doorbell the rang.

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Maple Leaf Pro Wrestling airs this week

Maple Leaf Pro Wrestling (MLP) volition deed the airwaves this week erstwhile it debuts connected TSN astatine midnight ET connected Wednesday.

Rohan Raja spoke to Fox News Digital successful May astir MLP and wherefore fans should tune in.

"I retrieve erstwhile we ran our archetypal amusement a batch of fans, me, adjacent if you spell connected Twitter and adjacent quality articles would study it, the prime is similar an AEW oregon WWE product. It’s precise apical notch. We person Mauro Renallo arsenic the dependable of MLP," helium said astatine the time. "He’s connected occurrence and helium inactive does a batch of worldly similar Jake Paul, helium did Anthony Joshua’s past boxing match, Tyson Fury’s past match. We person each these star-studded guys.

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"How I kinda summarize it is it’s similar a world’s collide but each week due to the fact that we’ve had guys from AEW connected there, we got guys from Japan, we got guys from Mexico, we got guys and girls from WWE who travel connected it. So, I consciousness similar that’s the biggest happening wherever not lone are they showcasing the Canadian endowment but it’s showcasing everything. I consciousness similar wrestling now, you bash get glimpses of the worlds collide but I consciousness similar we’re the promotion that’s had everyone – a sensation of everything into one. With the TSN tapings and however that’s gonna go, it’s truly conscionable going to amp up what we’ve built and it’s thing that you wouldn’t privation to miss."

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Other pro wrestling quality and notes you whitethorn person missed:

Kyle Fletcher during AEW Double oregon Nothing successful Queens, N.Y., connected May 24, 2026. (Lee South/AEW)

• Kyle Fletcher defeated Konosuke Takeshita for the AEW International Championship during "Beach Break." It’s the 3rd title held by the Don Callis Family faction.
• Willow Nightingale earned an AEW Women’s World Championship changeable astatine Redemption against Thekla.
• Xia Brookside defended the TNA Knockouts World Championship against Lei Ying Lee connected "Impact."
• Chris Jericho spoke to Fox News Digital astir his upcoming documentary "Vietslam."
• Major League Wrestling (MLW) announced that satellite champion Killer Kross volition beryllium successful the movie "Godshot."
• Avery Styles, the lad of WWE Hall of Famer A.J. Styles, volition marque his Game Changer Wrestling debut connected July 31.
• Fight Factory Wrestling’s Dave Sturchio previewed The War connected the Shore 3 with Fox News Digital.
• MLW women’s champion Shotzi Blackheart clarified who the existent "Indy God" is successful an interrogation with Fox News Digital.