On Friday, 23 veterans and prospects were released from their existing contracts in the latest round of WWE’s annual roster cuts. Some of the most notable names to be released this week were each member of the Wyatt Six, Kairi Sane, and wrestling power couple Aleister Black and Zelina Vega.

While this was bad news for those wrestlers, it does leave a group of interesting talents in pro wrestling free agency at a time when the industry is strong. TNA Wrestling should consider signing contracts soon, including veteran performers. With that in mind, here are six former WWE stars that TNA should target on the open market.

apollo crew

At one time, Apollo Cruz was one of the must-see artists on the independent scene due to his impressive athleticism. More than a decade later, at the age of 38, Cruz is still an entertaining wrestler. But that was never his problem. It was always about finding a character that fans connect with and stick with for a while.

This is why he would be a better fit in TNA wrestling rather than battling the AEW roster for Best Match of the Night. TNA focuses a little more on character work, so if they find something that connects them with the audience, Crews could be a huge opportunity for promotion.

aleister black and zelina vega

The obvious assumption would be that, following his release, Aleister Black would return to AEW, where he found real success prior to his second stint in WWE. However, it would be wise for Carlos Silva to prioritize bringing Black and his wife Zelina Vega to TNA.

Their release this week surprised many as they were frequently used on SmackDown and seemed to be getting into a rhythm as characters. In TNA, this duo could be instantly catapulted to the top and become mainstays of the roster for the next few years, while also making some good money.

eric rowan

Erick Rowan has a useful talent for attacking enemies as a large monster. However, a performer like him doesn’t feel like a fit in this version of AEW. However, TNA could make better use of men like Rowan. They will be able to play to his strengths and get the most out of an artist whose prime years are still ahead of him.

Tyra Mae Steele

One of the other surprise releases by WWE this week was Olympic gold medalist Tyra Mae Steele. When the company signed her three years earlier, she was introduced as a future world champion and the female version of Kurt Angle. However, they may have felt that she was not developing at the pace they needed and dropped her.

He still needs further development, but has immense potential. TNA can help her become a better professional wrestler, and having a gold medalist would be a great addition to their women’s roster.

dexter loomis

Dexter Loomis has shown in the past that he can develop some strange but fun characters. Plus, he has great looks and is a very good athlete. TNA Wrestling seems like a perfect fit for a performer like Lumis, who needs time to let his character breathe. Also, rekindling their beloved history with Indi Hartwell in NXT but not in TNA would be a smart play.

After earning a journalism degree in 2017, Jason Burgos worked as a contributor to several sites, including MMA Sacca… More about Jason Burgos

Cody Rhodes is one of the most iconic WWE wrestlers and belongs to a wrestling dynasty. His father, brother and other family members have been involved in wrestling at one point or another. But what do we know about his early life and family? Let’s take a look at the family life of Cody Rhodes.

Who is Cody Rhodes father?

Before he became “The American Dream,” he was just Virgil Riley Runnels Jr., a Texas-born athlete who was lighting up the football field and baseball diamond. However, once Dusty Rhodes got to pro wrestling, it was game over for him in every locker room he went into. He dominated territories such as the NWA and Jim Crockett Promotions and made headlines in the ’70s and early ’80s with his signature charisma and blue-collar swagger.

By the late 80’s, he broke into WWE and began shaking hands with legends like Ted DiBiase and Randy Savage. The WWE Championship eluded him, but Dusty didn’t need a title shot to prove his toughness. And when his in-ring days were over, he evolved into guiding the next generation in wrestling.

Behind the scenes, he became a master guru, and shaped the next generation – including his own son, Cody Rhodes – into top-tier superstars. Dusty Rhodes gave his final performance in 2015 at the age of 69.

Who is Cody Rhodes mother?

Born on October 6, 1962, in El Paso, Texas, Michelle Rubio is the mother of Cody Rhodes. She was a dancer in the group The Devil’s Angels and performed in various nightclubs before meeting Dusty while working as a gym receptionist.

They married in 1978. Michelle has been widowed since Dusty’s death in 2015. They have three children: Cody Rhodes, Dustin Rhodes, and a daughter, Teal Runnels.

How many brothers and sisters does Cody Rhodes have?

Cody has a sister, Teal; a half-brother, Dustin (a wrestler also known as Goldust); and a half-sister, Kristin, who was a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader. His uncles are wrestlers Jerry Saggs and Fred Ottman.

Yes, Dustin and Cody Rhodes are related. Both of them had worked together during the days of AEW. However, once the latter decided to return to WWE. However, Dustin Rhodes is now seen in AEW Collision and Ring of Honor. Currently, Rhodes is the ROH World Six-Man Tag Team Champion with Marshall Von Erich and Ross Von Erich, and is one half of the World Tag Team Champions with Sammy Guevara.

What is the ethnicity of Cody Rhodes?

He has Cuban roots through his maternal grandfather.

Penn State was dominant in the semifinal round of the Big Ten championships. The Nittany Lions had nine semifinal participants, and eight advanced to Sunday’s championship round. The only one who did not advance was Cole Mirasola, who lost to No. 1 seed Taye Ghadiali of Michigan. All 10 No. 1 seeds advanced to the Big Ten finals Sunday.

285 pounds: No. 1 Taye Ghadiali (Michigan) and No. 2 AJ Ferarri will compete for their first Big Ten title tomorrow 

No. 1 Taye Ghadiali (Michigan) over No. 4 Cole Mirasola (Penn State), 5-2: Taye Ghadiali started his semifinal against Cole Mirasola with a takedown, looking to deny Penn State a ninth finalist. Mirasola escaped and tried to fire back but did not land an attack in the first. Ghadiali started down in the second and escaped to take a three-point advantage. Mirasola started down in the third and struggled to escape as each second spent locked was one less second to attack. Mirasola finally escaped with 35 seconds left in the period but could not find a way through, giving Ghadiali a 5-2 win.

No. 2 AJ Ferrari (Nebraska) over No. 3 Nick Feldman (Ohio State), 2-1: Looking to win a third match of the season against AJ Ferrari, Nick Feldman failed to land in the first. He started down in the second and struggled to get out, allowing Ferrari to build some riding time. Feldman earned his escape very late in the period, and Ferrari got out quick at the start of the third, putting the pressure of Feldman to counter his riding time advantage. Ferrari defended against all of Feldman’s attacks and used his riding time point to win, 2-1.

197 pounds: No. 1 Josh Barr (Penn State) and No. 2 Camden McDanel advance to Big Ten finals

No. 1 Josh Barr (Penn State) over No. 5 Luke Geog (Ohio State), 18-3: Josh Barr finished the first period by taking down Luke Geog, taking a 3-0 lead from the opening frame. Barr escaped at the start of the second period and took Geog down for additional points. Geog was hit for stalling, and Barr earned another takedown to lead 11-1 after two. Geog escaped in the third period but gave up a takedown, and Barr advanced with an 18-3 tech fall win.

No. 2 Camden McDanel (Nebraska) over No. 6 Wyatt Ingham (Wisconsin), 10-3: Camden McDanel and Wyatt Ingham could not find a way through each other in the first period to score. McDanel took bottom in the second period and escaped after conceding some riding time, but he took down Ingham late in the second period to lead 4-0. After starting on top, McDanel gave up an escape but took down Ingham for more points. McDanel continued to score and won the match, 10-3.

184 pounds: No. 1 Rocco Welsh (Penn State) set to meet No. 2 Max McEnelly (Minnesota) set for Big Ten finals

No. 1 Rocco Welsh (Penn State) over No. 4 Brock Mantanona (Michigan), 8-5: After losing the match in the dual meet, Brock Mantanona starts his rematch with Rocco Welsh by taking down the Nittany Lion. Welsh escaped and looked for offense, but Mantanona’s takedown was the only one during the first period. Welsh won the disc flip and started the second period down, escaping quickly. Welsh found his takedown about halfway through the second, taking the lead. Mantanona escaped late in the second to cut Welsh’s lead to one. Mantanona started the third down and escaped to tie the match. Welsh continued to attack but failed to find a way through, sending the match past seven minutes. In the sudden victory period, Welsh turned a low shot into a single-leg, and he countered Mantanona’s escape to secure the match-winning takedown.

No. 2 Max McEnelly (Minnesota) over No. 3 Silas Allred (Nebraska) by forfeit: Silas Allred forfeited his semifinal match, and Max McEnelly advanced to the championship match.

A medical forfeit from Allred sends McEnelly back to the 184 championship! pic.twitter.com/Acb446NJ0N

— Minnesota Wrestling (@GopherWrestling) March 8, 2026

174 pounds: No. 1 Levi Haines (Penn State) & No. 2 Chris Minto will meet again in the Big Ten finals 

No. 1 Levi Haines (Penn State) over No. 5 Carson Kharchla (Ohio State), 5-1: Levi Haines and Carson Kharchla’s first period finished scoreless but not because of a lack of offense from either man. Haines escaped quickly to start the second and went right back to attacking, finally finding a takedown with 12 seconds to go in the period. Kharchla started the third period down and struggled against Haines riding, needing an escape and a takedown to win. Instead, Haines rode Kharchla for the entire two minutes to win, 5-1.

No. 2 Chris Minto (Nebraska) over No. 3 Patrick Kennedy (Iowa), 5-1: After no score in the first, Minto earned an escape to open the second period. Minto took down Kennedy about halfway through the second, holidnng Kennedy down and taking 1:06 of riding time into the third. Kennedy escaped quickly to start the third and looked for offense to come back against the Cornhusker. Instead, Minto’s riding time extended his winning margin to 5-1.

165 pounds: No. 1 Mitchell Mesenbrink (Penn State) and No. 3 Michael Caliendo set for another NCAA finals rematch in Big Ten final 

No. 1 Mitchell Mesenbrink (Penn State) over No. 5 Andrew Sparks (Minnesota), 19-4: Mitchell Mesenbrink started with an attacking mindset as he looked to continue his 100% bonus rate, taking down Andrew Sparks. Mesenbrink escaped quickly in the second, keeping his riding time advantage. Mesenbrink picked up another takedown, pouring the pressure on Sparks. In the third period, this translated to more offense and a 19-4 tech fall win.

No. 3 Mikey Caliendo (Iowa) vs. No. 7 Andrew Barbosa (Rutgers), 11-3: Mikey Caliendo scored a quick takedown against Andrew Barbosa in his quest to return to the Big Ten championship match. Barbosa escaped, and Caliendo took a two-point lead to the second. Calendo started down and escaped before going for another takedown, earning it to take a 7-1 advantage. Barbosa escaped to conclude the second period upright. He started the third period down and got another escape point but failed to find offense. Caliendo continued to put pressure on and won, 11-3.

Into the finals.

165 SF | #3 Michael Caliendo (Iowa) major dec. #7 Andrew Barbosa (Rutgers), 11-3 pic.twitter.com/3L7eXpknxW

— Iowa Hawkeye Wrestling (@Hawks_Wrestling) March 8, 2026

157 pounds: No. 1 Antrell Taylor (Nebraska) & No. 2 PJ Duke (Penn State) make their first Big Ten final

No. 1 Antrell Taylor (Nebraska) over No. 4 Cameron Catrabone (Michigan), 7-1: Antrell Taylor picked up a first-period takedown to score the opening points against Cameron Catrabone. Taylor started the second down, and Catrabone rode Taylor for over a minute before letting Taylor escape. Catrabone escaped to start the third period but needed more offense to advance. Instead, Taylor added three more points with a takedown and advanced.

No. 2 PJ Duke (Penn State) over No. 3 Kannon Webster (Illinois), 4-2: PJ Duke continued his inaugural Big Tens campaign as the aggressor, taking Kannon Webster down early. Webster escaped, and Duke got the escape point back after starting down in the second period. Neither wrestler earned a takedown in the second, and Webster scored a point after escaping to start the third. Webster could not find any offense, and Duke defended his way to a 4-2 win.

149 pounds: No. 1 Shayne Van Ness & No. 2 Ethan Stiles survive to advance to the finals

No. 1 Shayne Van Ness (Penn State) over No. 4 Lachlan McNeil (Michigan), 11-10: Lachlan McNeil was the first wrestler to score in the battle of All-Americans, taking down Shayne Van Ness early on. Van Ness escaped. McNeil took the Nittany Lion down a second time and rode Van Ness for the rest of the first period. Van Ness started the second period down and got out quickly. Van Ness took offensive initiative and took down McNeil, but the Wolverine escaped to take a two-point lead. McNeil took bottom, and Van Ness elected for an optional start, giving up the point. Van Ness went back on offense and took McNeil down, tying the match. McNeil escaped, but Van Ness fired again, taking the lead with a takedown. McNeil escaped again, but Van Ness took an 11-10 comeback win.

No. 2 Ethan Stiles (Ohio State) over No. 3 Joseph Zargo (Wisconsin), 4-3: Ethan Stiles and Joseph Zargo wrestled to a scoreless opening three minutes. Stiles started the second period down and escaped with ease. Late in the period, Stiles found a takedown and led 4-2 after Zargo escaped. Zargo escaped again to start the third period after starting on bottom. Stiles forced Zargo to shoot, but the Badger failed to find a way through. The Buckeye takes the 4-3 win. 

141 pounds: No. 1 Jesse Mendez (Ohio State) & No. 2 Brock Hardy set for NCAA finals rematch in Big Ten finals

No. 1 Jesse Mendez (Ohio State) over No. 4 Nasir Bailey (Iowa), 19-4: Jesse Mendez scored the first point of the match after Nasir Bailey was penalized for stalling. Bailey started the second period down and escaped after 19 seconds, but Mendez kept the pressure on. Bailey was hit with another stall call, and Mendez took the Hawkeye down again for a 5-1 lead after two. Mendez poured on the offense in the third period, repeatedly taking Bailey down and letting him up again. With the late offensive flurry, Mendez won by tech fall, 19-4.

No. 2 Brock Hardy (Nebraska) over No. 3 Vance Vombaur (Minnesota), 8-2: In a rematch of last year’s Big Ten championship match, neither Brock Hardy nor Vance Vombaur scored in the first period. Vombaur started the second down and escaped after just two seconds. Hardy started to become more aggressive in the second period, taking Vombaur down and recording a three-point near fall. Hardy started the third down and quickly reversed before allowing Vombaur back up. Neither wrestler scored the rest of the way, and Hardy returns to the Big Ten final.

Back in the B1G finals🔥

No. 2 Brock Hardy defeats No. 3 Vance Vombaur (MIN) by decision, 9-2. pic.twitter.com/f9Wx8A3mKu

— Nebraska Wrestling (@HuskerWrestling) March 8, 2026

133 pounds: No. 1 Marcus Blaze (Penn State) & No. 3 Ben Davino (Ohio State) advance to the finals as freshmen

No. 1 Marcus Blaze (Penn State) over No. 5 Drake Ayala (Iowa), 4-1: After beating Drake Ayala during the dual season, Marcus Blaze wrestled the Hawkeye to a scoreless first period. Ayala went down to start the second and escaped after 16 seconds. The two men were both strong defensively, and neither wrestler could take down the other in the neutral position. Blaze went down to start the third and got out quickly to tie the score. Ayala defended from a knee, and Blaze could not find a way through the national finalist’s defense. Seven minutes was not enough to separate the two, and the match moved to sudden victory. About a minute into extra time, Blaze shot low and grabbed Ayala’s leg, taking down Ayala. Blaze wins, 4-1.

No. 3 Ben Davino (Ohio State) over No. 10 Blake Boarman (Purdue), 21-5: Ben Davino started his first Big Ten semifinal by taking down Blake Boarman in the first minute. Boarman escaped, and Davino took the Bolermaker down again. Davino’s offense continued as he earned a fourth first-period takedown and a three-point near fall. Boarman started the second period down and escaped, but Davino kept firing, taking Boarman down once again. Another escape and takedown gave Davino the 21-5 tech fall win.

DAVINOOO is advancing to the Finals!! 🔥

Ben Davino WINS by TF over Blake Boarman, 21-5 !!#GoBucks pic.twitter.com/27d0KeHiwx

— Ohio State Wrestling (@wrestlingbucks) March 8, 2026

125 pounds: No. 1 Luke Lilledahl (Penn State) & No. 6 Jore Volk (Minnesota) to meet in the championship bout

No. 1 Luke Lilledahl (Penn State) over No. 4 Jacob Moran (Indiana), 11-3: Luke Lilledahl started as the aggressor in his match with Jacob Moran, recording two takedowns in the opening period. Moran started the second period down, and Lilledahl released him after gaining some riding time advantage. Lilledahl picked up a late second-period takedown which was confirmed after an official review. The Nittany Lion escaped quickly to start the third period and continued to wrestle despite his big lead. With the riding time point added on, Lilledahl wins, 11-3.

Luke Lilledahl advances to the B1G finals!
Lilledahl with the 11-3 major over Moran!#PSUwr pic.twitter.com/5Xs2Wmc2yV

— Penn State WRESTLING (@pennstateWREST) March 8, 2026

No. 6 Jore Volk (Minnesota) over No. 2 Nic Bouzakis (Ohio State), 8-1: Jore Volk started his semifinal with a first-period takedown, earning a 3-1 lead over Nic Bouzakis after one period. Volk started the second period on the bottom and escaped, adding to his lead. Volk found his way through Bouzakis’ defense again, taking down the Buckeye to end the second period. Bouzakis started the third period down, and Volk returned him to the mat a couple of times to earn the riding time point. With the extra point, Volk moves on to the Big Ten final with an 8-1 win.

Chris Jericho has responded to fans who criticize the pace of long-term storytelling. Speaking on the Untapped podcast with Spencer Matthews, the former AEW World Champion defended the “slow-burn” approach that has defined much of his career.

Jericho argued that the most impressive rivalries – such as his year-long program with MJF or his historic 2008 feud with Shawn Michaels – require patience to reach their full potential. He believes that today’s fans often demand an immediate payoff rather than progressing the story.

Jericho used the film Saving Private Ryan as a metaphor for his creative approach, and emphasized that a story should only be evaluated after the final chapter has been written. He shared his frustration with viewers who dismiss a rivalry midway through its execution, comparing it to leaving a movie theater before the climax.

Jericho said, “I like long-term stories. My favorite stories are always the ones that last for months, you have to be creative. You don’t have to be on the show every week, both guys don’t have to be on the show every week.” “I always love wrestling fans, especially modern ones, who want to know the answer right now, give us the answer right now!

“If I’m watching Saving Private Ryan, it’s 3 hours long… If I say, ‘This movie, they haven’t got Ryan yet. This movie sucks! It’s stupid! It’s too long!’ I hear it every day from wrestling fans,” he said. “My point is to shut the fuck up and let me tell my story when it’s over.”

“The Learning Tree” has not appeared on AEW programming since April 2025, when he disbanded his faction and informed partners Big Bill and Brian Keith that he would be taking an extended hiatus. The report from Fightful Select reveals that while his contract was originally set to expire in December 2025, AEW management has “paused” the deal in consideration of his time away.

This interruption typically occurs when an artist takes significant time off for outside ventures, such as Jericho’s recent United Kingdom tour with his band, Fozzie. Despite heavy speculation about a possible WrestleMania 42 return to WWE, Jericho is listed on the official AEW roster page. Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter stated that Triple H has reportedly expressed interest in a retirement tour for the veteran, but that no formal negotiations can occur until his current obligations to Tony Khan are completed.