Letha Sunil

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.

BY JITU JANGIR

WWE Raw is set to return tonight, August 17, 2026, from KeyBank Center in Buffalo, New York, with a loaded lineup featuring several matches and a major confrontation involving Roman Reigns, Solo Sikoa and Jey Uso. The show will take place tonight and will air live on Netflix at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. WWE's official preview confirms the five announced matches and segments for the episode. The night's biggest storyline will see Jey Uso deliver Solo Sikoa to World Heavyweight Champion Roman Reigns after defeating Sikoa under controversial circumstances last week. Chad Gable will also put the Intercontinental Championship on the line against Rey Mysterio, while Rey Fenix faces El Fiscal and Dragon Lee takes on El Hijo de Dr. Wagner Jr. in the first round of the World Heavyweight Championship No. 1 Contender's Tournament. The tournament will determine who challenges Reigns when Raw heads to Mexico City on September 14. Sol Ruca will also go one-on-one with Lyra Valkyria following their confrontation last week. Monday Night Raw Results August 17, 2026 Stephanie Vaquer opened the show by calling out Women’s World Champion Liv Morgan and demanding a fight. Morgan arrived with Raquel Rodriguez and Roxanne Perez, and the numbers quickly became a problem for Vaquer. Becky Lynch came out to help, but tension between Lynch and Vaquer gave Judgment Day another opening. Morgan attacked Lynch, while Perez hit Vaquer with Pop Rox. Jey Uso, Jimmy Uso and Solo Sikoa were shown backstage. The Usos prepared to take Solo to Roman Reigns, with LA Knight briefly crossing paths with them. Je’Von Evans vs JD McDonagh( W/OG Cutter) Je’Von Evans battled JD McDonagh after getting involved with Dominik Mysterio and calling out Big Cass. McDonagh focused on Evans’ injured leg, but Evans managed to fight through the damage. Evans eventually caught McDonagh with the OG Cutter for the win. Big Cass attacked him again afterward, but Evans fought back and even challenged Cass before Dominik helped Cass regain control. Winner: Je’Von Evans via pinfall Rey Fenix defeated El Fiscal - World Heavyweight Championship No. 1 Contender Tournament Rey Fenix defeated El Fiscal with the Mexican Muscle Buster to advance in the World Heavyweight Championship No. 1 Contender Tournament. Fiscal gave Fenix a tougher fight than expected, but Fenix survived and moved into the semifinals. He will face the winner of Dragon Lee vs. El Hijo de Dr. Wagner Jr. Sol Ruca vs Lyra Valkyria Sol Ruca and Lyra Valkyria delivered a fast-paced match with both women getting strong stretches of offense. Valkyria nearly caught Ruca with her finishing move, but Ruca countered and eventually connected with the Sol Snatcher. Ruca picked up the victory in 10:50. Winner: Sol Ruca via pinfall Bron Breakker and Oba Femi Settle Their Argument Bron Breakker came to the ring and called out Oba Femi, insisting that Femi prove his claim that he is the future of WWE. Paul Heyman interrupted before things could turn into an immediate fight. Femi eventually appeared and told Breakker that even Brock Lesnar knows he is the future. Breakker wanted to fight him on the spot, but Heyman stopped the match from happening. Heyman revealed that he had already spoken with Raw General Manager Adam Pearce and arranged Bron Breakker vs. Oba Femi for WWE Sunday Night’s Main Event on September 6. The winner will have a chance to prove who WWE's future really is. Dragon Lee vs. El Hijo de Dr. Wagner Jr. Dragon Lee and El Hijo de Dr. Wagner Jr. battled in a hard-fought tournament match, with both men exchanging offense throughout. Lee eventually caught Wagner with Operation Dragon to score the victory and advance to the semifinals, where he will face Rey Fenix. Winner:Dragon Lee via pinfall Chad Gable (c) vs. Rey Mysterio — Intercontinental Championship Chad Gable put the Intercontinental Championship on the line against Rey Mysterio in one of Raw’s featured matches. Mysterio used his speed to keep Gable under pressure, but the champion found a way to take control and shut down the challenger’s comeback. Gable eventually finished Mysterio to retain the Intercontinental Championship and continue his reign. Winner: Chad Gable Roman Reigns, Solo Sikoa and The Bloodline Roman Reigns arrived with Jacob Fatu and immediately demanded that Solo Sikoa be brought to him. Jey Uso and Jimmy Uso then brought Solo into the ring. Roman reminded Solo of their previous Tribal Combat match and questioned why Solo was still standing in front of him rather than showing him respect. The Usos attacked Solo, and Fatu applied the Tongan Death Grip before Roman told him to stop. Roman then placed black Ula Falas around Jey and Jimmy’s necks and praised them for what they had done. The focus returned to Solo, but LA Knight came out and confronted Roman. The Usos attacked Knight, while Fatu also got involved. Roman stopped Fatu from using the Tongan Death Grip on Knight before hitting Knight with a Superman Punch. Roman then ordered Solo to deal with Knight. Solo appeared ready to hit Knight with a Samoan Spike but turned and hit Roman Reigns instead. Solo then pulled out an air gun and confronted Jey. Knight hit Jimmy with a BFT, while Solo hit Jey with another Samoan Spike. Knight later hit Roman with a BFT of his own. Solo and Knight eventually left the ring together. Knight offered Solo a fist bump, which Solo accepted before saying, “Thank you.” Jacob Fatu remained standing in the corner and did not help Roman or the Usos.

BY SACNILK TEAM

A Hindi release in 2026 ran its entire final promo push through Instagram stories. Cast reactions from the trailer launch, a choreographer walking through a hook step, three days of city-by-city footage, a producer's voice note the morning tickets opened. Roughly forty story frames across eight accounts. None of it survived the week. Stories expire in 24 hours, and whoever was supposed to archive them was busy running the campaign. This is now a routine problem for anyone who tracks film publicity, runs a fan account, or writes about box office and needs the promo trail intact after the fact. Why highlights do not solve it Highlights look like the answer. Save a story to a highlight and it stays on the profile indefinitely. Two things break that. First, only the account owner can create a highlight, so a fan page or a trade writer has no control over what gets kept. Second, highlights get pruned. Publicity teams routinely clear them out between releases so a profile does not carry last film's campaign into the next one's. Content that sat in a highlight for three months can vanish in an afternoon. The archiving habit that works Pull the frames the day they go up. Not the week they go up, the day. An instagram story saver takes a username, loads whatever stories are currently live on that profile, and lets you save the frames as files. Video comes down as MP4, stills as JPG. No login involved, which matters if you are monitoring twenty accounts and have no business signing into any of them. Three tools handle this. Ranked by how little they get in the way: 1. FastDL. Loads the full current set on one screen, saves at whatever resolution was uploaded, no account prompt. 2. iGram. Works, though it wants the link pasted a second time often enough to notice across a long session. 3. StoriesIG. Gets the frames, then spends your patience on redirect tabs. The ordering matters less than the habit. Any of them beats discovering on Thursday that Monday's content is gone. What the resolution actually depends on The file you get back matches what was uploaded. Instagram stories cap at 1080 by 1920 pixels, and a lot of promo content lands well below that because it was exported for speed on a launch day. If a frame came out of a phone editing app at 720p, that is what saves. Worth knowing before you blame the tool. Nothing reconstructs pixels that were never uploaded. The line that matters for anyone publishing Archiving a public story for reference is one thing. Republishing it is another, and which tool pulled the file makes no difference to that distinction. Promo material is usually intended to travel, which is why studios put it on Instagram in the first place. That still is not a licence to lift a frame and post it as original content. Credit the account. And if you are using footage rather than a still, check what is playing underneath it: a promo clip cut over a released track carries the label's rights as well as the studio's, and the label is the party that files complaints. This trips up fan pages more than trade coverage, because fan pages are the ones reposting video. A still frame with a credit line rarely causes anyone trouble. A 15-second clip with a chart single over it can. Restricted profiles sit outside all of this. Where an account has closed its audience, those stories are not served to outsiders at all, and any site advertising otherwise wants your password rather than your traffic. What to actually set up If you cover releases regularly, the workflow is dull and takes four minutes a day. Open the saver, run through your list of tracked accounts, pull anything new, drop it in a folder named for the film. By release week you have the entire promo trail sitting locally while everyone else is searching for a reel that expired on Tuesday. Two details make the difference between a folder that helps later and one that does not. Name files by date and account at the moment you save them, not afterwards. A folder of forty clips called video_1 through video_40 is almost as useless as no folder. Two seconds of typing while the download completes turns it into something searchable in six months. And pull the whole set, including the frames that look like nothing. Story sequences make sense as sequences: the frame that seemed like filler on Monday often turns out to be the first time a release date appeared on screen. Storage is cheap and judgment on launch day is bad. The accounts that keep this discipline end up with better archives than the studios whose campaigns they are tracking, which says something about how the industry treats its own material.

BY JITU JANGIR

Blake Monroe has opened up about the time she spent wrestling in Japan and explained how the experience changed both her career and her life before she made her way to WWE. Before becoming a WWE Superstar, Monroe built her experience on the independent scene and eventually traveled to Japan to continue developing as a wrestler. What was supposed to be a short trip turned into a much longer stay after she quickly became attached to the country and its wrestling culture. “I went to Japan and I was meant to go for like a month and I ended up moving there. So I only had like two or three suitcases. And it was in my first week and I was like, ‘I'll stay.,'" Monroe said during her appearance on The Nikki & Brie Show. Monroe explained she trained at the dojo and spent a lot of time wrestling and improving her skills. Her schedule could become demanding, especially during tournaments and busier stretches of the year. “It wasn't every day, but it went through phases. So, we wrestled at least twice a week. Sometimes in the summer like we had tournaments and like we'd be on the road. Like we'd be on this bus. Like you do your match, you take the ring down, shower if you can, the bus.” Monroe was around 23 at the time and felt she needed to spend some time away from home. Living in another country forced her to become more independent, and she said she found herself during that period. “I just fell in love. It's called the Dojo. We just trained all the time and I loved Japan and I feel like at that time in my life I must have been like 23 or something. I needed that. I needed to be by myself. I needed to be independent and I just found myself and I loved Japan.” Monroe couldn't speak Japanese when she first arrived, which meant she couldn't rely on long promos to connect with the audience. Instead, she had to find other ways to communicate her personality. That eventually became an important part of her development as a character. “I couldn't speak. And as we know, promos, especially in WWE, is the biggest part of like how you're going to make people like you. Wrestling is one thing, but I feel like you have to have something where people hate you, like you, relate to you, whatever it is. I couldn't do that in Japan. So, I had to learn how to exude that in my body, in the way I dressed, in all my mannerisms, and it really made me dial up to like a hundred.” She compared developing a wrestling character to training in the gym. The more she worked on it, the more she learned what connected with an audience. “I feel like it's developed. It's the same way you like train in the gym and you train at wrestling. I feel like you also train your character. But you just kind of learn what works, what doesn't, where you need the crowd, where you might need to like show out to them.” After making her mark in NXT, she's moved on to SmackDown and has made it clear that she wants to become more than someone who simply wins championships. She wants to create stories that fans remember. Monroe recalled eating raw chicken with friends before a major match against Giulia. She initially worried that the unusual meal was responsible for the knots in her stomach, only to realize she was simply nervous about the match. “I ate raw chicken. And I was fine. But it was the night before like a really big match with Giulia actually. And I really wanted to wrestle her... I had started my period so I had cramps. But in my head I'm like it's the chicken. It's raw chicken but it wasn't. I was just really nervous so like my stomach was in knots.”

BY JITU JANGIR

Blake Monroe has revealed that she was approached to appear on Love Island twice but ultimately decided against joining the reality show because becoming a WWE Superstar was always her bigger ambition. The WWE star discussed the opportunity during her appearance on The Nikki & Brie Show, where she opened up about her life before wrestling and explained why she believed appearing on Love Island could have taken her down a different path. Monroe revealed that the first offer came when she was just 18 or 19 years old. At the time, the British version of Love Island was still relatively unfiltered, and Monroe did not believe the show aligned with the career she wanted to build. “I got asked to be on Love Island when I was like 19, the British one, 18 or 19. And back then, though, that was when it was very unfiltered. And I just didn't do it because I really, really wanted to be a WWE Superstar and I don't think this is a good idea.” Monroe explained that she was particularly conscious of how appearing on the reality series could affect her future, especially because some of the situations portrayed on the show were not something she wanted associated with her career. This time, however, Monroe admitted that she was more conflicted about the decision. “And then a couple years ago I was already in America and they had reached out again about it. And everyone's like, ‘Yeah, you could do it.’ And I was torn because I'm insane.” There was another reason behind her decision the second time around: she had fallen in love. “And then I fell in love. Couldn't go on to Love Island because I found it myself.” That journey has now brought her to WWE, where she has moved from NXT to SmackDown and is beginning what she described as an even bigger chapter of her career.

BY JITU JANGIR

Santino Marella has recalled a wild night from his WWE days that ended with him bleeding from the head after a joke involving John Cena and a broken plate. Marella shared the story during his appearance on What Do You Wanna Talk About? with Cody Rhodes, while discussing his “Fun Time Tony” persona and some of the memorable moments from his time traveling with WWE. According to Marella, the incident took place during a European tour. WWE talent had a room blocked off at a bar, where the group was drinking and enjoying themselves. What started as a joke over food eventually resulted in Marella suffering a cut to his head. Marella explained that someone noticed Cena had apparently ordered food for himself rather than the rest of the group. Cena then took a single french fry from the plate, which prompted Marella to smash the plate. “So Cena, and he knows exactly what he's doing. We were on a European tour. We had the room blocked off, we're drinking. And he just leans over and it was Percy Watson, Nick McNeil, goes ‘Did he just order food for himself and nobody else?’ And you know, I'm like, ‘What? Where is he?’ So he took one french fry. The plate just came. One fry." Marella added, "And I took the plate and I smashed the plate and he was just left with one french fry like... Like he looked forward to that meal so bad. So Cena, not realizing how sharp the shards were of the plate, took one and went ting to my head. And all of a sudden it's just drip, drip, drip, drip. And he's like, ‘Oops.’ And he goes, ‘Oh, well’ and he did it himself too. So we have to call Doc Amann to come down, little crazy glue.” The injury also made Marella's appearance particularly memorable. He said he was wearing a white tank top at the time, which ended up covered in blood. “And I was wearing a white tank top, which by the end of the night looked like I had been involved in, you know, a murder. It was just, it was horrible, it was very, very bloody.” Despite the injury, the night did not immediately come to an end. Marella recalled that the group continued drinking at the bar until around six or seven in the morning. Eventually, he decided it was time to return to his hotel room. Marella saw the elevator doors closing and rushed to get inside. When he entered, an elderly couple was already there after apparently finishing breakfast. The couple, however, had no idea what had happened to Marella. All they saw was a man covered in blood, staggering inside the elevator early in the morning. “There's an elderly couple, seven AM, just, you know, finished breakfast. And I'm just sitting there bloody, just staggering, like swaying. And they're just absolutely terrified. Like they don't know what happened, why am I bloody?” Marella eventually reached his floor and walked out, leaving the couple behind. He imagined that they were probably relieved once the elevator doors closed again. “And my door opens to my floor and I just walk off and they must have just had this huge sigh of relief. I mean, you know, it wasn't as bad as it looked, but it looked pretty bad.”

BY JITU JANGIR

AJ Styles believes LA Knight is ready for another opportunity at the top of WWE, insisting that “The Megastar” has all the qualities needed to become a world champion. Styles discussed Knight's current position in WWE during the latest episode of The AJ Styles Show, where he was asked about the possibility of Knight eventually facing Roman Reigns again. While Styles did not confirm that WWE has plans for another match between the two, he made it clear that he believes Knight is more than prepared for a world championship opportunity. Styles has previously shared the ring with both men, giving his assessment of Knight's potential some added weight. The former WWE Champion believes Knight has reached a point in his career where he should be seriously considered for the company's biggest championship. “I’ve never seen anybody more ready to be a champion right now than LA Knight,” Styles said. “I know I keep harping on this, but I can’t be the only one that thinks this way. He’s got all the tools. Give him the opportunity.” According to Styles, Knight understands what would be expected of him if he were to become a world champion. That includes not only defending the championship but also representing WWE outside the ring. “He knows what comes with being a champion. He’s got it. And I’m not just talking about holding the heavyweight championship around your waist,” Styles explained. “When it comes to interviews and what you got to do to represent the WWE, he has those tools to be able to get it done and I think he’d do it flawlessly.” Knight has also already experienced what it is like to challenge Roman Reigns for a world championship. The two faced each other at Crown Jewel in 2023, with Reigns retaining the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship after interference from The Bloodline. The match helped establish Knight as a legitimate main-event performer, even though he ultimately failed to capture the championship. Now, the possibility of another encounter has become interesting again. Reigns is currently the World Heavyweight Champion, while Knight remains involved in WWE's world championship picture. Recent WWE storylines have also kept the two names in the same conversation, with Knight's championship ambitions continuing to be part of his character.

BY JITU JANGIR

Zilla Fatu made an immediate impression during his arrival on WWE NXT, and AJ Styles was among those impressed by what the young star brought to the show. Fatu made his WWE debut on the August 11 episode of NXT, interrupting the match between Grayson Waller and Cruz Montana. The contest was set to determine the next challenger for Tony D’Angelo’s NXT Championship, but Fatu's arrival changed everything as he attacked both competitors. Styles had a close look at the segment because he was involved in producing the match between Waller and Montana. Speaking on The AJ Styles Show, he first praised both wrestlers for the way they handled the bout, explaining that he did not have to heavily guide them because of their experience. “There’s not a lot you have to do in this because you got two pros who’ve been on television. They know what they’re doing. I had no worries that they’d get it done in the time that they needed to. Total pros.” Styles also singled out Waller for praise, saying he feels the former NXT star is underrated in his current role. “Grayson Waller is very underrated. I think it’s very good, the heel work that he’s doing right now. He’s the pissed-off, ‘I’m going to tell you what I think and if you don’t like it, come do something about it.’ I kind of like that.” The match itself also left an impression on Styles. He pointed out that Waller and Montana were not holding back and appeared to have genuinely put themselves through a physical contest. “It wasn’t that they just went out there and, I don’t know if you saw them both at the end of their match, but there was bruises on their chest. Like these guys, there was a boot mark on Cruz’s face. They got after it. There was some very real stuff that was going on.” After watching the two wrestlers deliver a hard-hitting match, Styles said he was impressed by what happened when Fatu entered the picture. The son of the late Umaga made his presence felt immediately, taking the fight to both Waller and Montana. For Styles, it was not simply the attack itself that stood out. He was particularly impressed by Fatu's overall presence. “He looks like a star. Just his presence. It’s a very intimidating presence.” Styles also pointed out a detail that made Fatu's attack look even more painful. The WWE Hall of Famer noted that Fatu delivered his splashes without wearing knee pads. “And if you don’t know how scary he is, he did those splashes without knee pads. If you knew that, right? Come on, it kind of sucks.” The NXT crowd also reacted strongly to Fatu's arrival, something Styles noticed while discussing the moment. “The fans went crazy in NXT. So, yeah, it was a really cool moment.” Fatu's arrival has generated considerable attention since his WWE debut. He is the son of Umaga and part of the wider Anoa’i-Fatu wrestling family, which includes several major WWE stars. His debut also came at an important point for NXT, with the brand introducing a number of new faces to its men's division.

BY SUNIT JANGIR

Mumbai, August 17 - The Independence Day 2026 weekend turned out to be a competitive one at the Indian box office, with multiple major releases fighting for audience attention. Emraan Hashmi's Awarapan 2 emerged as the clear winner among the new releases, while Suriya's Vishwanath & Sons delivered an impressive opening weekend in the South. On the other hand, Sunny Deol's Batwara 1947 struggled to convert the massive Independence Day opportunity into a major box office result. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) 1. Awarapan 2 – 98 crore India gross Awarapan 2 dominated the Independence Day weekend and finished its first three days with around 100 crore India gross, including 31.25 crore gross on Sunday. Its India net stood at around 81.75 crore, while the film also added 19 crore from overseas markets. The Emraan Hashmi-led sequel topped 117 crore worldwide, which is the biggest opening weekend ever for an Emraan Hashmi-starrer. 2. Vishwanath & Sons – 67.25 crore India gross Suriya's Vishwanath & Sons was another major winner during the holiday frame. The family drama collected 67.25 crore India gross in its opening weekend, with the film maintaining strong momentum across its key markets. Its overseas performance was particularly impressive, with the film collecting an estimated 43 crore from international markets by the end of Sunday, with its worldwide gross reaching 110 crore after the 3-day weekend. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) 3. Batwara 1947 – 31.50 crore India gross Batwara 1947 had perhaps the most disappointing weekend among the major new releases. The Sunny Deol-led period drama managed 26.50 crore India net, translating into around 31.50 crore India gross over its first three days. After opening at 5.75 crore net, the film jumped strongly to 13.50 crore on Independence Day but dropped sharply to 7.25 crore on Sunday. The film's worldwide gross stood at approximately 37 crore by the end of the opening weekend. 4. Spider-Man: Brand New Day – Strong hold in Week 3 Spider-Man: Brand New Day continued to remain a major contributor to the Indian box office despite entering its third week. The Tom Holland-led Marvel film faced fresh competition from Awarapan 2 and other Independence Day releases but continued to attract substantial audiences by collecting around 27.50+ crore gross, pushing its total India gross to 558+ crores in 18 days. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) 5. DC Movie – Continues to contribute to the market The fifth spot was occupied by Lokesh Kanagaraj's acting debut DC Movie, which continued to add to the Indian theatrical business during the holiday weekend. While its numbers were nowhere close to the two major new releases, it benefited from the overall surge in theatrical footfalls during the Independence Day period, collecting approximately 15 crores gross in its second weekend, pushing its total India gross to around 63 crores and worldwide to 84 crore in 10 days. The biggest takeaway from the Independence Day weekend is the contrasting fortunes of Awarapan 2 and Batwara 1947. The former has completely seized the box office momentum, registering a near-100 crore India gross in only three days, while the latter has struggled despite Sunny Deol's star power and the massive holiday advantage. Meanwhile, Vishwanath & Sons has also emerged as the other major winner, particularly in the South and overseas markets.

BY CHRISTA LINCY

Awarapan 2 has successfully taken the franchise to a global level, proving that Emraan Hashmi's pull remains significant even years after the original film. The sequel has not only resonated with the domestic audience but has also shown impressive legs in international markets. For a film that carried high expectations of nostalgia mixed with modern action, these numbers serve as a strong validation of the actor's global reach. According to a report by veteran trade analyst Taran Adarsh, Awarapan 2 has grossed approximately US$ 2.02 million, which translates to roughly ₹19.31 Cr, in its opening weekend overseas. This performance is a major personal milestone for the lead star, as it has emerged as the highest-grossing solo Emraan Hashmi film in international markets during its opening window. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) A look at the regional breakdown shows that the UAE-GCC market has been the primary driver of this international success. This region alone contributed US$ 1 million, accounting for nearly 50 percent of the film's total overseas business. This kind of dominance in the Middle East is a clear indicator of the actor's strong fanbase in that territory. Other western markets also saw healthy traction, with the USA bringing in US$ 255k and Canada recording CA$ 225k. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) In Europe and Oceania, the film maintained a steady pace. The UK market recorded £ 200k, while Australia contributed A$ 180k. The rest of the world collectively added another US$ 200k to the total. Seeing such a wide distribution of collections suggests that the film’s theme has successfully captured the interest of the diaspora across different continents. The dominance of the Middle East market is a logical trend for Bollywood thrillers of this nature, but the steady numbers in the USA and UK provide a robust cushion for the film's overall global collections. As Awarapan 2 moves into the weekdays, these international figures will be vital in pushing the film toward higher worldwide milestones.