David Garbett

BY CHRISTA LINCY

On its second Monday, DC recorded an India gross collection of 2.29 crore. This performance brings the total domestic gross to 65.35 crore, while the total net collection now stands at 56.76 crore after eleven days. When factoring in the overseas contribution of 21.50 crore, the film worldwide gross has climbed to 86.85 crore. The 55.6 percent drop from the previous day net collection of 4.50 crore represents a standard stabilization as the film moves through its second week across 2,165 shows. Kerala is currently providing a unique support system for the film box office run. It is rare for a Tamil release to see its Kerala collections almost match those of Tamil Nadu on a weekday. On its second Monday, Kerala contributed a gross of 0.70 crore, which is remarkably close to the 0.75 crore collected in Tamil Nadu. This trend suggests the movie has achieved a level of acceptance in Kerala that is usually reserved for local productions. Additionally, the Telugu states added 0.60 crore to the daily gross, while Karnataka brought in 0.22 crore. Including the 0.02 crore from other regions, the total domestic gross for Day 11 settled at 2.29 crore. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) Looking at the language-wise breakdown, the Tamil version remains the primary driver with 1.40 crore net from 1,439 shows, maintaining an overall occupancy of nearly 30 percent. The Telugu version added 0.59 crore net from 673 shows with 23 percent occupancy, while the Hindi version remains on a very limited scale, contributing 0.01 crore from 53 shows. The film is currently running across 2,165 shows nationwide, showing a healthy screen count even after ten days of release. The occupancy trends across major cities show how the audience is distributed. In Chennai, the film maintained a 30 percent occupancy across 182 shows. Kochi recorded a daily average of nearly 34 percent occupancy across 104 shows, peaking at 56 percent during the night. In Bengaluru, the Tamil version is running on 110 shows with a 25.3 percent occupancy, while the Telugu version has a 32.3 percent occupancy across 11 shows. For the Telugu market, Hyderabad lead the volume with 175 shows at 28.5 percent occupancy, while Vijayawada recorded a 38 percent night peak across 17 shows. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) Digital ticket bookings continue to show steady interest, with the total sales on BookMyShow now crossing the 16.09 lakh mark. On this second Monday alone, approximately 40,000 tickets were booked through the platform, reflecting a consistent audience flow even in the second week of its theatrical run. The performance in national multiplex chains has settled into a weekday rhythm. Across PVR, INOX, and Cinepolis, the film sold approximately 6,000 tickets on its eleventh day. PVR lead the count with about 3,900 tickets sold and a 10.47 percent occupancy. INOX contributed roughly 1,500 tickets, while Cinepolis accounted for nearly 600 tickets. These chains together generated a gross of about 9.3 lakh for the day. While the morning shows started quietly, the night shows saw a healthy jump to over 37 percent occupancy for the Tamil version, suggesting that the film is still a preferred choice for the working crowd.

BY CHRISTA LINCY

The upcoming Onam season is a major period for Malayalam cinema, and Bethlehem Kudumba Unit is currently the focus of much discussion. Scheduled to hit theaters on August 21, the film marks Nivin Pauly's return to the romantic-comedy genre where he originally found his footing. He plays Justin, starring alongside Mamitha Baiju as Ashley, in what is being viewed as a significant genre comeback for the actor. The industry is closely watching to see if this release can finally challenge his career-best opening day record. That milestone of 5.3 crore was established eight years ago with Kayamkulam Kochunni, and this new project represents his most direct attempt at breaking that record in a long time. Recent certification details show that the film has been cleared with a UA 13+ rating by the regional office. Produced by Bhavana Studios, the movie has a confirmed runtime of 156.59 minutes, which is about two hours and thirty-seven minutes. This length provides enough room for director Girish A.D. to explore the neighborhood dynamics and character layers he is known for. The story centers on Ashley's return from abroad, where a wedding next door brings back memories of her first love, Justin. Supported by an ensemble cast including Vinay Forrt and Sangeeth Prathap, the film is positioned as a substantial family entertainer for the holiday weekend. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) The project is also a major milestone for director Girish A.D., who is riding high on the success of his previous blockbuster, Premalu. Interestingly, the director has moved away from the urban cityscapes of his earlier films to explore a rural, close-knit Christian Catholic neighborhood near Angamaly. Girish has shared that this is his biggest-budget production to date, specifically designed to capture the unique humor and neighborhood gossip found in small-town life. The writing team, consisting of Girish and Kiran Josey, has crafted a story centered on first loves and second chances, which the industry expects will resonate with a wide family audience during the festival season. However, the road to the box office is not without its hurdles. The film is entering a high-pressure screen crunch as it goes head-to-head with Prithviraj Sukumaran action film, Khalifa, which arrives just a day earlier on August 20. To make room for these two festival giants, theater owners are currently in the process of clearing out older holdovers. While early August releases like Thudakkam and the Tamil hit DC , Vishwanath and Sons performed well, they are being phased out or moved to non-prime shows. This aggressive reallocation is necessary to ensure that the prime screens are split almost entirely between the two major new releases. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) The pressure on screen availability eased slightly with the announcement that Dulquer Salmaan highly anticipated I am Game has been delayed until September 3. This gives Bethlehem Kudumba Unit and Khalifa a much clearer run to dominate the ticket windows during the peak Onam days. Exhibitors are pinning immense financial hopes on this specific window, with internal estimates suggesting that total box office revenue could be 20 to 30 percent higher than last year. In this high-stakes environment, every single prime-time show is vital for maximizing the initial collection.

BY SUNIT JANGIR

Mumbai, August 18 - Ektaa Kapoor is set to take her hugely popular Naagin franchise beyond television, with the iconic supernatural series now reportedly being developed for the big screen. The filmmaker teased the development on August 17, marking a major new chapter for a franchise that has dominated Indian television for more than a decade. The announcement comes on the occasion of Nag Panchami and has immediately sparked curiosity among fans about what a theatrical version could look like. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) The Naagin television franchise began in 2015 and has since completed seven seasons, establishing itself as one of the country's most recognisable supernatural properties. The series, produced by Ektaa Kapoor and Shobha Kapoor under Balaji Telefilms, revolves around shape-shifting serpents and has featured several leading television actresses in its various seasons. Balaji Telefilms has itself described Naagin 1 through Naagin 7 as an extremely successful mystical-fantasy franchise. For now, the big-screen project remains shrouded in mystery. Details regarding the cast, director, storyline and others have not been revealed. This leaves the biggest question unanswered — who will play the next Naagin on the big screen? Given the franchise's popularity, speculation about a major Bollywood actress taking on the iconic role is already expected to intensify. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) Interestingly, the idea of turning Naagin into a feature film is not entirely new. Ektaa Kapoor has previously spoken about wanting to develop a cinematic version of the property, with reports suggesting that she had even approached major Bollywood names in the past. However, this latest announcement appears to signal that the franchise is finally ready to make the transition from television to cinema. The timing could also make the project particularly interesting. Bollywood has increasingly embraced fantasy, supernatural stories and established IPs, while Naagin already comes with a massive audience and years of built-in recognition. A theatrical adaptation would allow the makers to significantly expand the scale of its mythology, action and visual effects compared with television. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) View this post on Instagram A post shared by EktaaRkapoor (@ektarkapoor)

BY SUNIT JANGIR

Mumbai, August 18 - Disney has officially locked in a packed 2028 theatrical slate for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, with three MCU movies now scheduled to hit cinemas during the year. The announcement further underlines Marvel Studios' plans to enter its next major phase following the conclusion of the Multiverse Saga with Avengers: Secret Wars in 2027, with several highly anticipated franchises set to take centre stage. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) The first major release will be Marvel Studios' X-Men, which is scheduled to arrive on May 5, 2028. The reboot was one of the biggest reveals at Disney's D23 event, where Marvel Studios officially unveiled its principal cast. Sadie Sink will play Jean Grey, Kit Connor will portray Cyclops, Christopher Abbott will be Professor X, Inde Navarrette will play Rogue, Maya Boyd will portray Storm, Samara Weaving will play Emma Frost, and Adam Driver has been cast as Mister Sinister. The film will be directed by Jake Schreier. The second MCU release is Ryan Gosling's Ghost Rider, which has now been officially dated for July 28, 2028. Directed by Shawn Levy, the film will mark Gosling's MCU debut and will arrive less than three months after X-Men, giving Marvel two major releases during the summer movie season. The project had previously been listed as an untitled Marvel release before Disney formally attached the Ghost Rider title and date. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) The third MCU movie is Black Panther 3, currently scheduled for December 15, 2028. Ryan Coogler will return to direct the upcoming superhero movie, with David Jonsson cast as the new Black Panther. At the same time, Letitia Wright is set to reprise her role as Shuri, alongside Winston Duke as M'Baku. The film's placement in the lucrative holiday corridor makes it one of the biggest theatrical bets on Disney's 2028 calendar. The three-film lineup means Marvel will have X-Men, Ghost Rider and Black Panther 3 arriving in the same calendar year. With Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars leading into the post-Multiverse era, 2028 could therefore become a crucial year for the MCU. The arrival of the new X-Men alongside Ghost Rider and another Black Panther film suggests Marvel is preparing to expand its cinematic universe with a fresh generation of characters and franchises while continuing to rely on some of its most commercially powerful properties.

BY CHRISTA LINCY

If you have been looking for proof of Suriya cross-border superstardom, the performance on the first Monday provides a clear answer. While Mondays are often a sobering reality check for big releases, Vishwanath and Sons has managed to navigate this hurdle to cross a massive global milestone in record time. Based on early estimates, the worldwide gross for the film has now touched 121.27 crore in just four days. This is a significant moment, especially considering how the film is maintaining a strong presence across both Tamil and Telugu markets simultaneously. On its first Monday, Vishwanath and Sons saw its India gross collection touch 9.05 crore. This marks a standard stabilization at the ticket windows after a high-energy opening weekend, following a 62 percent dip from the Sunday performance. While such drops are expected for big-budget releases, the total domestic gross has now reached a solid 76.27 crore in just four days. When you factor in the early estimates from the international market, where it added another 2.00 crore on Monday, the total worldwide gross has climbed to approximately 121.27 crore. This impressive total has been accumulated across a domestic footprint of over 20,000 shows so far. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) One of the most interesting aspects of this box office run is the massive reception Suriya is receiving in the North American market. In the USA and Canada specifically, the Telugu version alone crossed the 1 million dollar milestone in just three days. According to data from Venky Box Office, the film has now reached a total of 1.72 million dollars in North America after four days. This is a historic moment for the actor, as it has officially surpassed the lifetime collections of his previous hit 24 ($1.63M) to become the highest-grossing film of Suriya’s career in this territory. It also currently stands as the number one North American grosser for a Tamil film in 2026, ahead of Jana Nayagan and Karuppu. The battle between the Tamil and Telugu markets is currently neck-to-neck, which is a rare sight for a Tamil-origin film. If we look at the state-wise gross collections, Tamil Nadu lead with a total of 30.50 crore, but Andhra Pradesh and Telangana are right behind with 30.25 crore. On Monday alone, the Telugu version actually outperformed the Tamil version, contributing a 4.25 crore gross compared to 3.00 crore from Tamil Nadu. This balanced contribution highlights Suriya massive reach across South India. Other regions have also chipped in significantly, with Karnataka contributing a gross of 8.90 crore and Kerala adding 5.45 crore to the total. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) The regional and show-wise breakdown reveals exactly where the momentum is strongest. If you look at the theater occupancy throughout the day, there is a clear and steady climb as the working day ended. For the Tamil version, the morning started with about 19 percent occupancy but grew to hit 32 percent by the night shows. The Telugu version saw even more aggressive growth, starting the day at 20 percent and surging to a massive 50 percent occupancy during the night screenings. This trend suggests that word-of-mouth is helping the film stay relevant for the evening crowds. When we look at the specific regions, Chennai and Hyderabad remain the primary engines for this run. In Chennai, the film managed to maintain over 440 shows with a solid 39 percent occupancy. Hyderabad was not far behind, hosting about 385 shows for the Telugu version with a nearly identical occupancy rate. However, the real standout was Visakhapatnam, which recorded the highest occupancy in at nearly 50 percent across its 114 shows. Even in Bengaluru, where both versions are playing, the Telugu version saw a much better hold with 27 percent occupancy compared to 15 percent for the Tamil screenings. This highlight again confirms that Suriya pull in the Telugu belt is currently driving the film's stability. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) On the digital front, the momentum remains quite healthy. BookMyShow has recorded a total of 17.23 lakh tickets sold since the release, including a strong pre-sale of 306,000 tickets. On Monday, the platform saw 150,000 tickets sold. While this was just enough to miss the top 10 list for the year first Monday sales—sitting at the number 11 spot just behind titles like JanaNayagan and DC—it still reflects a very loyal audience base. The film is currently Suriya third-biggest opening weekend ever, trailing behind JanaNayagan and his previous hit, Karuppu. When you look at how the film is stabilizing in urban centers, the performance in major national multiplex chains offers a clear picture of the weekday trend. Across PVR, INOX, and Cinepolis, the movie managed to sell approximately 30,600 tickets on its first Monday. PVR led the volume, accounting for nearly 18,300 of those tickets across roughly 500 shows, with a steady occupancy rate of about 16 percent. In INOX theaters, the film saw around 8,800 tickets booked over 330 shows at 11 percent occupancy, while Cinepolis contributed another 3,500 tickets from 230 screenings with an occupancy of roughly 8 percent. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) Aggregating these numbers, the film ran nearly 1,070 shows in these top-tier national chains alone on Monday. While these urban centers are maintaining a respectable pace, there is a distinct split in how the different versions are performing geographically. The Telugu version continues to do the heavy lifting in traditional international markets such as North America, the United Kingdom, and Australia. On the other hand, the Tamil version is currently leading the charge in other global territories like Europe and the Middle East. This dual-language momentum is helping the film bridge the gap between regional preferences and cumulative box office totals.

BY CHRISTA LINCY

Batwara 1947 has encountered a disastrous first Monday at the box office, earning just 2.00 crore net across India. This brings the four-day domestic net total to 28.50 crore, a figure that is deeply concerning when measured against the film reported budget of 120 to 150 crore. A 72.4 percent crash from Sunday 7.25 crore collection indicates that the film has failed to find a steady audience. The situation is made even more difficult by the ongoing dominance of Awarapan 2, which has monopolized the interest of the mass audience and left very little room for a heavy period drama to recover. In the current market, when a film with such a high production cost sees a Monday drop this steep, the path to recovery becomes nearly impossible. The global numbers offer no relief either. With only 0.75 crore coming in from overseas markets on Monday, the worldwide gross has reached 40.20 crore. For a Sunny Deol project mounted on such a massive scale, these numbers are far below the break-even point. While the film has managed to maintain a presence across 30,800 shows so far. Even though the India gross has reached 33.95 crore, the massive gap between the current earnings and the production cost indicates that the film is heading toward a heavy loss. The focus is no longer on hitting milestones, but rather on how much of the investment can be salvaged before the theatrical run ends. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) Across major chains like PVR, INOX, and Cinepolis, the film held approximately 2,000 shows on Monday. These platforms sold around 4,700 tickets, generating a gross revenue of roughly 12 lakh. PVR lead the count with about 2,700 tickets sold, followed by INOX and Cinepolis. The overall occupancy for the day remained on the lower side at 10.21 percent, starting with a quiet 6 percent in the morning and peaking at 12.5 percent during the night shows. The regional data paints a concerning picture of how Sunny Deol's usual box office strength is missing here. While the National Capital Region hosted the highest volume of screenings with 680 shows, it could only manage an 11 percent occupancy rate. For an actor whose films typically dominate the northern belt, these numbers are quite low. The struggle is even more visible in the western markets, where Surat recorded a negligible 3.5 percent occupancy and Ahmedabad stayed at 7 percent. Even in Bengaluru, which often supports diverse genres, the occupancy stayed under 9 percent. These figures indicate that the film is failing to gain any meaningful traction outside of a very small segment of the audience. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) The digital sales and multiplex performance further highlight this lack of interest. On Monday, the film sold just under 29,700 tickets on BookMyShow, which is a sharp decline from its Sunday pace. The situation in major national chains like PVR, INOX, and Cinepolis is particularly weak. Across nearly 2,000 shows in these multiplexes, the film sold only about 4,700 tickets in total. This averages out to less than three tickets per show, suggesting that many screens were running nearly empty. While Sunny Deol has a legendary track record of massive Monday collections with films like Gadar 2 and Border 2, Batwara 1947 is currently struggling at the bottom of his career list, barely staying ahead of his releases from twenty years ago. Sunny Deol - Top 10 1st Monday Net CollectionsMovie NameMonday CollectionBorder 2₹ 59.00 CrGadar 2₹ 38.70 CrJaat₹ 14.00 CrYamla Pagla Deewana₹ 4.43 CrGhayal Once Again₹ 3.50 CrYamla Pagla Deewana 2₹ 3.30 CrSingh Saab The Great₹ 2.43 CrBatwara 1947₹ 2.00 CrThe Hero: Love Story Of A Spy₹ 1.58 CrGadar: Ek Prem Katha₹ 1.45 Cr As we can see from the historical comparison, Batwara 1947 has managed to surpass the unadjusted Monday collections of cult classics like the original Gadar and The Hero. The film is currently benefiting from a lack of major competition in its specific genre, allowing it to maintain over 6,700 shows on a weekday. However, the window for recovery is narrow. With the arrival of Toxic on August 26th, the box office momentum is expected to slow down significantly as screens get reallocated. It is now a race to add as much as possible to the kitty before next Wednesday. With the domestic gross currently sitting at 33.95 crore, the film needs to stay steady throughout the week to salvage its final total in this competitive market.The focus will now be on keeping the collections steady throughout the week to ensure the film reaches a comfortable lifetime total.

BY JITU JANGIR

Booker T had already begun making a name for himself in WCW by 1996, especially alongside his brother Stevie Ray as Harlem Heat. But one match from that period still leaves him with mixed feelings — his Uncensored bout against The Road Warriors. Booker joined WCW in the early 1990s and eventually became one of the company's most successful stars. His partnership with Stevie Ray turned Harlem Heat into one of WCW's most decorated tag teams, while Booker later established himself as a singles wrestler and went on to win the WCW World Heavyweight Championship. By 1996, however, Booker was still building that singles identity while continuing to work closely with his brother. At WCW Uncensored 1996, Booker T teamed with Sting to face The Road Warriors — Hawk and Animal — in a Chicago Street Fight. The match featured the kind of chaotic action expected from a Chicago Street Fight, with the teams taking their fight outside the traditional rules of a wrestling match. Booker even recalled performing a Spinaroonie after hitting a missile elbow drop before leaving the match and eventually returning. Booker discussed the match while looking back at his WCW career on The Hall of Fame podcast. Booker admitted that, despite the match being a memorable night, he has never viewed it as something he was particularly happy about. “It was kind of bittersweet. It was kind of bittersweet pay-per-view for me, honestly, because I was working against the Road Warriors. It was me and Sting.” Booker explained that he believed he should have been in that spot with Stevie Ray. “It should have been me and my brother. It never should have been me and Sting doing that, you know. So, it was one of those moments to where, you know, I went out and did the work, got the work done because, you know, that's what I do. But, you know, it wasn't one of those things to where I was like, ‘Ah, man. This is like really, really so awesome.’” He said he and Stevie Ray had worked against Hawk and Animal before, but never received the kind of tag-team match they wanted. “I just always regretted, you know, that match because it was against the Road Warriors and I know me and my brother, we always wanted to beat all the old tag teams that came before us.” Booker continued: “The Road Warriors, we had tag matches with those guys, but nothing significant. And then I find myself on a pay-per-view against the Road Warriors, which just didn't make a lot of sense.” Looking back, Booker isn't saying the match itself was a disaster. His frustration comes from the missed opportunity. He wanted Harlem Heat to have that moment. Instead, WCW put him alongside Sting, leaving Booker to wonder what could have happened if he and Stevie Ray had been given the chance to settle things with The Road Warriors together.

BY CHRISTA LINCY

Awarapan 2 has successfully navigated its first Monday test by earning 9.25 crore across the domestic market. This takes the total India net collection to a strong 91.00 crore, while the worldwide gross has climbed to 130.82 crore in just four days. While the 64.4 percent drop from the 26 crore earned on Sunday is significant, it is a typical stabilization for a film that just delivered a massive opening weekend. For lead actor Emraan Hashmi, these numbers represent a career-defining comeback. It has been fourteen years since he saw a solo success of this scale, and it is poetic that his last major hit was also a sequel. The film builds on the gritty and emotional legacy established by the original cult classic, proving that the audience still has a huge appetite for this franchise. With 10,849 shows running on Monday and a total India gross of 109.02 crore, the movie is now comfortably in the hit zone and eyeing superhit status as it heads toward the 200 crore club. The performance in the national multiplex chains provides a clear picture of the urban audience. Across PVR, INOX, and Cinepolis, the film was screened in approximately 3,900 shows on Monday. These major chains sold nearly 30,000 tickets, resulting in a gross revenue of about 78.5 lakh. While the occupancy in these premium centers was modest at around 3.7 percent, it is the performance in single screens and Tier 2 centers that is driving the volume. The overall occupancy for the day stood at 23.48 percent, showing a healthy balance between different types of theater formats. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) Regional data highlights some very specific audience behaviors. Bengaluru has emerged as a particularly strong market. Despite having only 298 shows compared to the 1,136 shows in the National Capital Region, Bengaluru recorded much higher occupancy percentages. It reached a peak of 39 percent during the night shows, which is the highest for any major region on Monday. This indicates that the film has a broad demographic appeal that stretches well beyond the traditional Hindi heartland. Meanwhile, the National Capital Region and Mumbai continue to be the primary volume drivers, maintaining steady occupancy levels throughout the day. The movement of crowds throughout the day followed a predictable working-day pattern. Morning shows started slowly with an occupancy of 11.15 percent. As the day progressed, there was a steady climb, with the afternoon reaching 22 percent and the evening hitting 24 percent. The most significant jump happened during the night shows, which peaked at 32.69 percent. This trend of evening growth is a positive sign, suggesting that the film is attracting the working population and maintaining momentum after a massive opening weekend. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) In terms of digital ticket sales, Awarapan 2 recorded 173,600 tickets sold on BookMyShow for Monday. While this performance was strong, it was not enough to break into the top five list for Monday sales in the 2025-26 cycle. It currently sits behind record-breaking titles like Dhurandhar 2 and Border 2. However, the film still holds the distinction of being the third-highest opening weekend grosser for a Hindi film this year. Total ticket sales on the platform since the release have now crossed the 1.76 million mark, reflecting the high level of audience interest. This success is a major milestone for Emraan Hashmi, marking his first solo hit in fourteen years. It is worth noting that his last significant solo success was also a sequel, showing his ability to lead established franchises effectively. Given the controlled production budget, the film has already secured its hit status and is now moving toward becoming a superhit. With a clear window at the box office and no major competition until the release of Toxic on August 26th, the film has ample time to build on its 91 crore net total and potentially challenge the 200 crore milestone.

BY JITU JANGIR

Solo Sikoa made a shocking decision on Monday’s episode of WWE Raw, refusing to fall back in line with Roman Reigns before turning against his former Bloodline leader. Sikoa then left the ring alongside LA Knight after helping take down Roman and The Usos. The segment had been set up by Jey Uso’s victory over Sikoa the previous week. As part of their agreement, Jey was supposed to deliver Solo to Roman Reigns, leading to the long-awaited meeting between the two family members on Raw. WWE had promoted the confrontation throughout the week. Roman eventually came face-to-face with Solo and made it clear that he expected Sikoa to return to his side. The situation broke down when LA Knight entered the picture, bringing the Usos and Jacob Fatu into the confrontation. Roman ordered Solo to deal with Knight, but Sikoa refused to follow the order. Instead, Solo hit Roman with a Samoan Spike, turning the confrontation against The Bloodline. Knight then joined Solo as the fight spread around the ring. Solo and Knight eventually cleared the ring and walked away together. Knight offered Solo a fist bump, which Sikoa accepted before telling him, “Thank you.” Jacob Fatu remained in the corner and did not help Roman or The Usos during the final moments. The ending leaves Solo Sikoa on his own rather than returning to Roman Reigns, while LA Knight now appears to have an unexpected ally against The Bloodline.

BY JITU JANGIR

Booker T believes Zilla Fatu’s WWE NXT run is just the beginning. After watching Fatu make his WWE debut, the WWE Hall of Famer had some advice for the young star: use NXT to prepare yourself, because there is a much bigger road ahead. Fatu recently made his WWE debut on NXT, immediately making his presence felt and putting the roster on notice. The appearance marked another step in the career of the son of late WWE star Umaga, who previously trained under Booker T at Reality of Wrestling. Booker was clearly proud while discussing Fatu’s arrival on The Hall of Fame podcast. He compared NXT to a NASCAR pit stop and told Fatu that this is the time to get everything ready before making his next move. “NXT, this just a pit stop. But you got to take full advantage of that pit stop. You got to fill the tank up. You got to check the tires and make sure everything’s rotated properly, and then you hit the track running real hard. So I just want to let you know about the pit stop, man.” Booker then made it clear that he was not simply talking about Fatu’s wrestling ability. He believes the young star has already shown the mentality needed to reach the next level. “I’m so damn proud of you for going out there and putting in that work. I’m really, really proud of you for going out there and putting in that work. I know people, they done seen me and you do our thing, but this real talk, man. This real talk. I’m so damn proud of you.” The relationship between Booker and Fatu goes back well before WWE. Fatu trained at Reality of Wrestling, Booker’s wrestling school and promotion in Houston, where the Hall of Famer pushed him hard because he saw something familiar in him. Booker explained that he was particularly tough on Fatu because he could see his own younger self in him. “I don’t think I was harder on anybody that has ever come through Reality Wrestling than I was on this kid. I literally rolled him, because I could see myself, you know what I mean? I could see myself.” Booker also opened up about why he felt Fatu needed that kind of guidance. He remembered being rebellious when he was younger and said he understood what it was like to have potential but still need someone to push you in the right direction. For Fatu, the WWE debut also carried an emotional connection to his father, Umaga. Speaking about the moments before entering the ring, Fatu said he said a quick prayer and felt that his father was there with him. “And your dad right now, man. Your dad right now is looking down on you like so freaking happy. I can see the smile on his face, man. I really can. So, congratulations. And let’s get ready for the takeover.”

BY JITU JANGIR

Oba Femi and Bron Breakker will collide at WWE’s first-ever Sunday Night’s Main Event on September 6. The match will take place at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia, with the special event scheduled to stream live at 8 p.m. ET. The match was made official during Monday night’s Raw after Femi and Breakker confronted each other in the ring. Breakker came out and called out Femi, challenging him to prove that he really is the future of WWE. Femi answered the challenge and reminded Breakker that even Brock Lesnar had recognized his potential. The two were ready to fight immediately, but Paul Heyman stepped in before the confrontation could turn into a match. Heyman explained that he had already spoken with Raw General Manager Adam Pearce and had a bigger plan for them. Heyman announced that Oba Femi vs. Bron Breakker would take place at Sunday Night’s Main Event on September 6. There is plenty behind the confrontation. Femi is becoming WWE's voice after his recent rivalry with Brock Lesnar, while Breakker has been trying to re-establish himself as one of WWE’s top young stars. Their confrontation on Raw turned that competition into an official singles match. The other confirmed match for Sunday Night’s Main Event is Cody Rhodes vs. Randy Orton. WWE made that match official after Orton attacked Rhodes before his scheduled match against Sami Zayn on the August 14 episode of SmackDown. The fight spilled through the arena before Nick Aldis announced their singles match for Atlanta.

BY JITU JANGIR

Jey Uso has one final piece of business to handle on tonight's episode of WWE Raw. After beating Solo Sikoa last week in a match that carried major consequences for Sikoa's future, Jey is now responsible for taking him back to Roman Reigns. With Reigns returning to Raw and Solo having spent weeks resisting his family's attempts to bring him back into The Bloodline, their meeting could quickly become something far more complicated than a forced reunion. The story has been building for weeks. Roman Reigns previously ordered Jacob Fatu to bring Solo back into The Bloodline, but Sikoa repeatedly rejected the invitation and made it clear that he wanted nothing to do with his family. WWE’s own storyline recap noted that Sikoa had openly refused to return, while Fatu and The Usos were tasked with getting him back into the group. That makes tonight particularly interesting. Jey has already done his part by defeating Solo, and the stipulation now puts Sikoa directly in front of Reigns. A direct reunion would be the obvious direction. But there are several ways WWE could turn this into something much bigger. 1. LA Knight Helps Solo Sikoa Turn the Tables on Roman Reigns LA Knight could be the most interesting outside factor in this story. Knight already has history with Solo and The Bloodline. WWE previously booked Knight alongside Sikoa and Royce Keys against Jacob Fatu and The Usos at SummerSlam, while the storyline also posted that Knight's relationship with The Usos had deteriorated as Jey and Jimmy aligned themselves with Reigns and The Bloodline. That gives WWE an easy way to connect Knight to tonight's situation. The idea would be simple: Roman expects Jey to deliver Solo, perhaps believing that Sikoa will finally fall back in line. Solo could play along for a moment before the situation changes. Knight then appears and attacks Reigns, giving Sikoa an opening to escape. This wouldn't necessarily mean Solo and Knight become permanent allies. It could simply establish that both men have a problem with Reigns. Knight also has a reason to get involved because Roman is currently the World Heavyweight Champion. WWE's title history lists Reigns as the champion since April 19, 2026, and Raw is already building toward the next challenger for his championship. A confrontation involving Knight and Reigns would therefore give WWE a way to keep their eventual title program moving while also giving Solo a fresh direction. 2. Oba Femi Could Enter the Roman Reigns Story Another possibility is Oba Femi. The King of the Ring winner has already been positioned as one of WWE's biggest rising stars. Femi defeated Jey Uso in the King of the Ring final, and WWE previously presented him as someone who could choose between challenging Roman Reigns or another world champion. His presence around this story would also make sense because WWE has already been building toward Femi becoming a major singles star. At SummerSlam, he defeated Brock Lesnar inside Hell in a Cell, with Lesnar himself declaring that Femi was the future. So imagine Solo refuses Roman's offer again. Before Reigns can deal with him, Oba Femi walks out. Femi doesn't necessarily need to help Solo. He could simply make it clear that Roman's attention is in the wrong place. The two could have a confrontation that establishes Femi as another man coming for the World Heavyweight Championship. That would give WWE a completely different direction. Instead of using Solo only to continue the Bloodline story, WWE could use tonight to put Roman in the middle of a growing title picture involving Femi and potentially LA Knight. 3. Zilla Fatu Arrives and Changes the Bloodline Story Zilla Fatu is the wild card. His WWE debut on NXT has already attracted attention because of his family connection. He's Umaga's son and belongs to the same extended wrestling family as Roman Reigns, Solo Sikoa and Jey Uso. That makes tonight an interesting opportunity. WWE doesn't necessarily need Zilla to attack anyone. His appearance alone could send a message. Imagine Roman trying to convince Solo to return to the family when Zilla suddenly appears. Roman could look at him as another potential member of the next version of The Bloodline, while Solo could see the arrival as another sign that his place in the family is being replaced. There's also the possibility that Zilla chooses Solo's side. That would immediately give Sikoa someone younger and hungry to stand beside him, while creating a fresh family rivalry around Roman. It may be early for Zilla to become a full-time part of the main-event Bloodline story, but the timing is certainly interesting after his NXT debut.