Heel Turn: Chaotic and violent night of wrestling in New York, examining Sami Zayn, Místico entrance and more

The thought of going to an independent pro wrestling show usually brings up images of quiet bingo halls and wrestlers who are hoping to make it to nan large time.

Awesome Championship Wrestling (ACW) connected Saturday nighttime successful Poughkeepsie, New York, couldn’t person been further from those preconceived notions. ACW Reckoning took spot successful beforehand of a packed MJN Center and aired connected Triller. There were respective matches that featured fireworks, TV value productions, aggregate champions and moreover a steel cage match to headdress nan night.

The arena came to a arguable and chaotic end.

Awesome Championship Wrestling stars Hale Collins and Danny Maff were successful action astatine Reckoning connected Saturday, May 16, 2026. (Fox News Digital)

Vik Dalishus and Hale Collins, nan tag squad duo known arsenic The Now, defended nan ACW Tag Team Championship against Sent 2 Slaughter – Shawn Donovan and Danny Maff. It was expected to beryllium nan extremity of a agelong feud that included Donovan and Maff crashing Dalishus’ wedding and Collins’ wrestling schoolhouse ceremony. The 4 men were locked successful a cage.

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Collins and Maff were each connected nan brink of winning nan belts pinch nan cage doorway open. Whoever escaped first would beryllium declared nan winner. However, some Collins and Maff reached nan level simultaneously. The referees based on complete which wrestler deed first but nan lucifer was seemingly declared a tie. It caused Sent 2 Slaughter to erupt successful anger.

The duo took their frustrations retired connected ACW officials and nan referees. Sent 2 Slaughter’s head past entered nan ringing pinch Maff and locked nan cage. Collins was beaten down connected nan outside. Vincent and Dutch, known arsenic The Righteous, came retired of nan back. But alternatively of helping, Collins was cuffed to nan cage and they stole nan tag belts. Collins was forced to watch arsenic Sent 2 Slaughter hit up Dalishus, hitting him pinch aggregate chair shots and hitting a spike piledriver.

Awesome Championship Wrestling prima Richard Holliday goes up against Andrade El Idolo astatine Reckoning connected Saturday, May 16, 2026. (Fox News Digital)

Awesome Championship Wrestling prima Richard Holliday was successful action astatine Reckoning connected Saturday, May 16, 2026. (Fox News Digital)

Dalishus’ woman emerged and started to bang connected nan cage arsenic officials rushed to get it open. They yet pried nan broadside of nan cage unfastened and she fell connected apical of Dalishus, trying to forestall further damage. Sent 2 Slaughter was sent disconnected and arsenic they reached nan ramp, fans started to propulsion h2o bottles astatine them. Fans were shocked to spot really nan arena came to an end.

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Dalishus revealed nan grade of his injuries successful a station connected Instagram.

"Last night’s cage lucifer ended pinch maine being taken from nan arena connected a stretcher aft suffering aggregate injuries. Right now, I’m still undergoing information while we stitchery much accusation connected nan grade of nan damage," he captioned nan station pinch photos showing nan grade of his injuries.

"I want to convey everyone who has reached retired pinch concern, support, and prayers. It genuinely intends a awesome woody to maine and my family during this time. Please proceed to support maine successful your thoughts arsenic we move guardant and study much successful nan days ahead."

Here’s really nan remainder of nan paper turned out.

Awesome Championship Wrestling nationalist champion Zack Clayton was successful action astatine Reckoning connected Saturday, May 16, 2026. (Fox News Digital)

• Leo Sparrow (c) def. GKM and Liamo to clasp nan ACW Cruiserweight Championship.
• Vincent and Dutch def. Wrecking Ball Lagursky and Yoscifer.
• Flip Gordon def. Matt Taven, Mance Warner, Brian Cage and Hammerstone to go nan No. 1 contender for nan ACW National Championship.
• Vicious Vicki and Lady Frost def. Steph De Lander and Indi Hartwell acknowledgment to J Rod’s interference.
• Crowbar def. Vargas successful a Poughkeepsie Street Fight.
• Zack Clayton (c) def. Dante Casanova to clasp nan ACW National Championship.
• Ben Bishop def. Foxx Vinyer.
• Andrade El Idolo (c) def. Richard Holliday to clasp nan Wrestling Knockout Chile Championship.

The nighttime besides featured Randy Savage and Mike Bell being inducted into nan MJN Center Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame and Killer Kross and Shotzi vowing to make appearances astatine ACW’s adjacent event, Indypendence Day connected July 18.

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Sami Zayn gets introspective

Sami Zayn wrestles Trick Williams during WWE Backlash astatine Benchmark International Arena successful Tampa, Fla., connected May 9, 2026. (Kevin Sabitus/WWE)

Life hasn’t been adjacent to Sami Zayn. He mislaid nan United States Championship to Trick Williams astatine WrestleMania 42, mislaid his rematch astatine Backlash and was told he had to beryllium himself to get backmost up to situation for nan title.

But complete nan past fewer weeks, Zayn has complained astir the authorities of pro wrestling. He took rumor pinch nan Gingerbread Man astatine nan Gingerbread Man’s funeral. He’s been unsure of why nan fans person been turning nan different feature toward him erstwhile he’s done thing wrong.

Again, pinch a catatonic Johnny Gargano lying by his side, Zayn went disconnected again.

"Things are changing astir here. This spot is not what it utilized to be. You cognize who feels it nan most? Guys for illustration us," Zayn said. "I mean, retrieve wrestling? Remember erstwhile wrestling was a thing? When conscionable being awesome astatine this and giving it your all, your passion, your heart, and arsenic agelong arsenic you did it great, nan fans would ever beryllium connected your broadside and you were guaranteed to emergence because nan pick ever rises. Remember erstwhile that mattered?"

Zayn’s trauma dump appeared to trigger thing successful Gargano arsenic "Johnny Wrestling’s" eyes followed Zayn arsenic he walked distant erstwhile nan conception was over.

Pro wrestling fans person tried to grapple pinch Zayn seemingly being pushed retired of nan title picture. But location is immoderate nutrient for thought to spell on pinch what Zayn has been saying.

Shockingly, it’s been much than 15 years since he debuted connected WWE NXT. The seasoned has seen it each successful WWE. He’s been an NXT champion, an intercontinental and U.S champion and a tag squad champion. He’s seen John Cena and A.J. Styles discontinue wrong weeks of each different and his champion friend, Kevin Owens, sidelined owed to a superior injury.

Zayn is nan cleanable illustration of anyone dealing pinch nan ebbs and flows of a business. He is still highly regarded successful WWE, obviously, but everyone other is clamoring toward nan upstart rookies that are doing things he utilized to beryllium capable to do. Anyone who sits successful nan arena to watch him aliases sits connected their sofa to position "Friday Night SmackDown" astatine location tin perfectly subordinate to really Zayn is emotion if it is put successful nan discourse of nan WWE Universe.

Hell, Gargano is conscionable arsenic overmuch a seasoned arsenic Zayn is and he hasn’t been capable to speak successful weeks.

The truth is that Zayn’s characteristic improvement is becoming much relatable by nan week. How he deals pinch clip starting to walk him by is going to beryllium absorbing to see. SmackDown has had a fewer call-ups complete nan past period pinch Ricky Saints joining Williams connected nan roster and Carmelo Hayes returning to nan fray connected Friday.

Try not to get goosebumps arsenic Natalia Jiménez sings ‘Me Muero’ while Místico walks retired astatine Super Viernes:

Supercard of Honor results

Athena enters nan ringing during nan women's pro-wrestling arena Stardom astatine Korakuen Hall successful Tokyo connected Jan. 13, 2025. (Etsuo Hara/Getty Images)

Ring of Honor held Supercard of Honor connected Friday night.

Athena continued her agelong reign arsenic Ring of Honor women’s champion arsenic she outlasted Billie Starkz, Maya World, Trish Adora, Yuka Sakazaki and Zayda Steel successful a Survival of nan Fittest six-way match.

Here were nan different results connected nan card.

• Sammy Guevara def. Action Andretti.
• Rush def. LSG.
• Mina Shirakawa and Queen Aminata def. Janai Kai and Lacey Lane.
• Dezmond Xaver and Myron Reed def. Ariya Daivari and Tony Nese.
• Nigel McGuiness def. Josh Woods.
• Red Velvet def. Viva Van to clasp nan Ring of Honor Women’s World TV Championship.
• AR Fox def. Lio Rush to clasp nan Ring of Honor World TV Championship.
• Deonna Purrazzo def. Diamante to clasp nan Ring of Honor Women’s Pure Championship.
• Lee Moriarty def. Ace Austin to clasp nan Ring of Honor Pure Championship.
• Dalton Castle, Truth Magnum, Turbo Floyd def. Carlie Bravo, Shane Taylor and Shawn Dean to triumph nan Ring of Honor Six Man Tag Team Championship.
• Mark Davis def. Xelhua to clasp nan AEW National Championship.
• Bandido def. Blake Christian to clasp nan Ring of Honor World Heavyweight Championship.

Blake Monroe is coming to SmackDown:

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More notes from a week successful pro wrestling

Cody Rhodes stands complete Gunther during SmackDown astatine Colonial Life Arena successful Columbia, S.C., connected May 15, 2026. (Rich Wade/WWE)

• Dominik Mysterio def. Original El Grande Americano to clasp nan AAA Mega Championship connected "Monday Night Raw."
• Gunther earned a changeable astatine nan Undisputed WWE Championship pinch a triumph complete Royce Keys. He will look Cody Rhodes for nan title astatine Clash successful Italy.
• Chelsea Green made an quality connected "Friday Night SmackDown" aft an wounded and a bosom process has taken her retired of action.
• Darby Allin defended his AEW World Championship doubly successful 1 week, defeating Konosuke Takeshita and Sammy Guevara. "Speedball’ Mike Bailey is up adjacent earlier his hairsbreadth vs. title lucifer against Maxwell Jacob Friedman (MJF) astatine Double aliases Nothing.
• Cedric Alexander became nan caller Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) X Division champion, defeating Leon Slater on "Impact."
• Fabian Aichner appeared connected "Impact" aft Alexander defeated Slater.
• Piper Niven shared an wounded update from a infirmary bed.
• AEW prima Chris Jericho appeared successful nan Minnesota Vikings' schedule release.
• TNA announced nan return of nan Ultimate X lucifer for Slammiversary connected June 28.
• Major League Wrestling announced a strategical confederation pinch Stardom. The institution said successful a station connected X, "The business will attraction connected talent speech and imaginative collaboration, allowing athletes from some globally recognized promotions to compete connected caller stages and successful beforehand of caller audiences."
• Killer Kross became nan caller World Series Wrestling champion successful Australia.
• Myla Grace became nan caller World Series Wrestling women’s champion.
• Tiffany Nieves cashed successful her opportunity and became nan National Wrestling Alliance’s world women’s champion.