Dude, you *have* to talk about Penta. After Monday’s absolutely thrilling contest against Roman Reigns where the champ held onto his world heavyweight title, WWE officials came out of it incredibly impressed with the challenger. According to WrestleVotes Radio on Fightful Select, the word inside WWE is that Penta “deserves the opportunity to remain towards the top of the card” and has officially “established himself as a legitimate main event player” going forward. This isn’t just talk, this is a seismic shift for a guy who, going into that match, had never really been booked as more than a mid-card act since joining WWE in 2025. His biggest wins up to now were over Dominik Mysterio or Finn Bálor. Think about that change!
So, Why Didn’t Penta Win the Title on Monday?
Alright, so if they’re that high on him, why didn’t Penta snag the championship in Mexico City? Well, here’s the rub. While officials feel they “can go back to at any time” for a Reigns-Penta rematch, one that “could headline a PLE in the future,” there aren’t current plans for it. The likely reason? Per Mike Johnson of PWInsider.com, WWE is reportedly planning a Reigns vs. Oba Femi title match for WrestleMania, and they want to keep Reigns “as strong as possible” until then. Honestly, no surprise there. Reigns remains the most-protected superstar in the company, period. Since his historic title reign kicked off in August 2020, his only singles losses by pinfall or submission are to Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania 40, Seth Rollins at WrestleMania 41 (a triple-threat with CM Punk), and Bronson Reed at Crown Jewel 2025. Penta was never going to be that guy on Monday night, not with that kind of booking history. But man, for Penta to show WWE officials he’s worth elevating into such a prominent position? That’s a massive win for him, even without the gold. The guy is incredibly talented and deserves this better spot.
AEW Just Bagged a Huge Free Agent
Meanwhile, over in All Elite Wrestling, it looks like they just pulled off a major signing. After rumors swirled all week about contract talks, it appears Ilja Dragunov has officially signed with AEW and “should be starting very soon.” This dude became a free agent last month when his WWE contract expired, and the rumors of him jumping to AEW were immediate. You could practically feel something was cooking when Kyle Fletcher dropped that not-so-subtle post on X earlier in the week. AEW president Tony Khan even spoke super highly of Dragunov in an August 26 interview with talkSPORT’s Will Gavin, calling him “a great wrestler” and “a very excellent athlete” who’s “competed at a very high level” and “somebody who I respect.” Talk about a ringing endorsement!
So, what’s next? Will WWE actually pull the trigger on Penta headlining a PLE against Reigns in the future? And how big of an impact will Dragunov make when he finally steps into an AEW ring? We’re about to find out, and I’m hyped to see it all unfold.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Bleacher Report.
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