Heel Turn: The fall of Rhodes, Will Ospreay's loyalties, King Oba and more from pro wresetling

It was a play to observe Sami Zayn.

Zayn, aft much than a decennary connected the WWE main roster, yet won a satellite rubric erstwhile helium pinned Cody Rhodes during their triple-threat lucifer with Gunther astatine Night of Champions successful Saudi Arabia. Zayn didn’t request immoderate shenanigans oregon distractions from the outside. He pinned the "American Nightmare" and prompted a monolithic frenzy successful Riyadh.

The triumph of Zayn present begs the question of what Rhodes does from here.

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Busted Open pointed retired that it had been a portion since Rhodes mislaid without distractions oregon interference. 

It conscionable underscores the reign Rhodes has had implicit the WWE since helium returned to the institution astatine WrestleMania 38.

It’s been a unusual 10 months oregon truthful for Rhodes. He defeated John Cena past August to regain the Undisputed WWE Championship. He dropped the rubric to Drew McInyre successful January and past won it backmost astir 2 months later. He held the rubric done WrestleMania 42 erstwhile helium defeated Randy Orton successful Night 1. He took the liberty of booking the Night of Champions triple menace himself to permission nary uncertainty arsenic to who the champion WWE prima is.

Sami Zayn wrestles Cody Rhodes during Night of Champions astatine Kingdom Arena successful Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, connected June 27, 2026. (Rich Freeda/WWE)

Perhaps, a small shortsighted. Zayn is connected apical of the upland and Rhodes is near stunned looking up astatine 1 of the men helium counted retired the most.

Zayn spoke to Fox News Digital earlier helium won the title astatine Night of Champions. He said helium believed the triumph could beryllium a "cultural moment."

"I deliberation it’s kinda 1 of those things that would kinda beryllium hard to process. I genuinely don’t know. I don’t cognize however the fans would react," helium said. "I anticipation they would bask it but you ne'er cognize due to the fact that my quality close present is simply a small polarizing – I genuinely don’t know. But I don’t know. I deliberation there’s a batch of similar taste and humanities benignant of value that would kinda possibly deed maine aft the fact.

"From a sentimental constituent of view, for sure, I deliberation it would beryllium benignant of awesome. I deliberation it would beryllium a large taste moment, actually. I don’t deliberation astir it. I benignant of disregard it a batch astatine this constituent due to the fact that we travel to Saudi a lot. A batch has been made of the information that I’m Arab oregon I’m Muslim oregon whatever. But increasing up, that was not the case. It was not similar this was a communal happening oregon thing that you could ever adjacent dream. I couldn’t person dreamt that this would happen. So, yeah, that would beryllium a beauteous large woody I think."

As Zayn begins the civilization change, Rhodes’ biggest fans volition look to spot wherever helium goes from here.

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Will Ospreay – officially a Death Rider?

Will Ospreay and Swerve Strickland vie successful a wrestling lucifer astatine AEW Forbidden Door successful San Jose, Calif., connected June 29, 2026. (Lee South/AEW)

Will Ospreay came distant with the triumph implicit Swerve Strickland successful the Owen Hart Foundation Men’s Tournament connected Sunday nighttime astatine Forbidden Door. He volition gain a rubric changeable against the AEW satellite champion astatine All In.

As the pro wrestling satellite celebrates Ospreay’s accidental astatine All In, the looming shadiness of The Death Riders grew substantially. Jon Moxley, Claudio Castagnoli, Daniel Garcia, Pac, Yuta Wheeler and Marina Shafir were successful Ospreay’s country arsenic helium enactment distant Strickland. They celebrated with him and Alex Windsor successful the ring.

While it seemed similar Ospreay kept The Death Riders astatine an arm’s distance, an confederation appeared to signifier for real. He utilized Moxley’s moves to bushed Strickland. Moxley and Castagnoli enactment him connected their shoulders. Those who were skeptical of Ospreay, clapped for him.

Ospreay and Windsor walked backmost up the ramp portion The Death Riders exited done the crowd. Whatever develops adjacent is going to beryllium truly interesting. Will either broadside beryllium capable to spot each different with 2 months earlier All In.

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King Oba’s reign

Oba Femi wrestles Jey Uso during Night of Champions astatine Kingdom Arena successful Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, connected June 27, 2026. (Rich Freeda/WWE)

Oba Femi defeated Jey Uso to triumph the King of the Ring Tournament. He earned a changeable astatine a satellite rubric of his choosing due to the fact that helium won.

Femi was defiant arsenic helium was interviewed successful the ringing pursuing his victory.

"It feels truthful bully to spell from ‘The Ruler’ to being the king," Femi said successful his post-match promo. "Jey Uso did not recognize what helium was up against tonight. He thought helium was conscionable warring 1 man. You mightiness beryllium capable to bushed 1 antheral but you can’t bushed destiny and you can’t bushed destiny and astir importantly, you can’t bushed me.

"I americium the ruler, the destroyer, the bringer of war, the upland that you cannot climb, the upland that you cannot conquer, the one-of-one, the beast slayer, the one, the chosen one, the king of the ring, Oba Femi!"

The bigger question is however Femi volition beryllium booked moving forward. He volition apt crook his attraction to Roman Reigns, the satellite heavyweight champion who has formed his dominion implicit the Raw roster. It would beryllium the champion mode to spell for Femi.

But, there’s a beast of a shadiness looming down him.

Femi’s rivalry with Brock Lesnar is not implicit conscionable yet. Lesnar didn’t interfere successful Femi’s lucifer against Uso. Pro wrestling fans apt anticipation that the last lucifer volition instrumentality spot astatine SummerSlam. It would beryllium an unthinkable extremity if that’s the case.

It would besides beg the question of whether Femi does 2 matches astatine SummerSlam. Could helium grip Lesnar and Reigns successful 1 weekend? What astir successful 1 day? Femi has a rocket strapped to his back, that’s for sure.

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Jonathan Gresham talks PRODUCE

Pro wrestling prima Jonathan Gresham talked to Fox News Digital astir his latest endeavor successful the sport. Gresham and Abe volition enactment successful a caller wrestling bid presented by Orange Crush. The lawsuit is called "PRODUCE Volume 1: The Octopus." It volition instrumentality spot astatine Pioneer Works successful Brooklyn, New York, astatine 8 p.m. ET.

He’s besides listed arsenic a co-producer for the event.

"The 1 happening I deliberation – attraction to item and consistency implicit time," Gresham told Fox News Digital erstwhile asked what fans tin expect from the event. "I deliberation that’s thing that is missing successful modern wrestling and that’s thing that’s thing Adam and I speech astir rather a bit."

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Title changes astatine TNA Slammiversary

Nic Nemeth enters the ringing during New Japan Pro-Wrestling astatine Hokkaido Prefectural Sports Center successful Sapporo, Japan, connected Feb. 23, 2024. (Etsuo Hara/Getty Images)

Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) saw respective championships alteration hands astatine Slammiversary. Nic Nemeth won the TNA World Championship, Xia Brookside won the TNA Knockouts Championship, Rosemary and Allie captured the TNA Knockouts Tag Team Championship and The Hardys captured the TNA World Tag Team Championship. 

Plus, determination was a large announcement of a caller rubric coming to the roster. TNA announced the enactment of the Knockouts TV Championship, which would beryllium defended exclusively connected "Impact."

TNA's Slammiversary amusement was highly coagulated fixed the sermon astir the institution implicit the past week. The adjacent fewer large events could go must-watch shows.

News and notes from the pro wrestling satellite past week:

• WWE announced a treble amusement connected Aug. 30. NXT Heatwave and Lucha Libre AAA volition instrumentality spot astatine the Bert Ogden Arena successful Edinburg, Texas. Tickets spell connected merchantability for each connected July 8.
• Uhaa Nation debuted astatine Slammiversary arsenic portion of Mustafa Ali's unfastened situation for the TNA International Championship. However, Ali was capable to fend Nation and Rich Swann disconnected successful a triple-threat match.
• Kendal Grey became the caller NXT women's champion astatine The Great American Bash. She defeated Lola Vice to triumph the title.
• A caller WWE ID champion was crowned. Max Abrams defeated Chazz "Starboy" Hall.
• Nikkita Lyons defeated Wendy Choo to go the caller WWE Evolve women’s champion.
• Major League Wrestling announced during "MLW Fusion" it was successful the midst of a "contract dispute" with Bishop Dyer – 1 fractional of the tag squad champions.

• National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) announced it volition aerial "Powerrr" connected Tubi.
• WWE prima Nattie Neidhart is returning to the National Wrestling Alliance for NWA 78 connected July 25.
• Trevor Murdoch was thought to person been retiring from pro wrestling aft an illustrious career. But helium swerved everyone and called the fans "idiots." He mocked everyone for reasoning that helium would retire. He dubbed himself "King Trevor Murdoch I."