Various: Malakai Black Wins PROGRESS World Title at 9/6 The Odyssey Tour 2026 Event, Matt Hardy Says He Addressed TNA Locker Room After TNA Lockdown 2026 Main Event Got Cut For Time, Wrestling World Pays Tribute to “Superstar” Bill Dundee

Indie / Misc
Sep 6, 2026

Malakai Black Wins PROGRESS World Title at Sept. 6th The Odyssey Tour 2026 Event

Sunday’s The Odyssey Tour 2026 event for PROGRESS Wrestling in Manchester, England featured Malakai Black defeating Cara Noir to become the new PROGRESS World Champion.

This was Black’s first ever PROGRESS World Championship victory in his PROGRESS career.

Matt Hardy Says He Addressed TNA Locker Room After TNA Lockdown 2026 Main Event Got Cut For Time

A recent episode of The Extreme Life of Matt Hardy podcast featured co-host Matt Hardy giving his thoughts about him being the recipient of the TNA Award for last week’s TNA Lockdown 2026. Hardy also gave his thoughts about how he addressed the locker room backstage after his and Jeff Hardy’s tag team match against The Nemeths for the TNA World Tag Team Championship for the show’s main event got cut for time.

“I had a couple of things I wanted to say to the crew and the roster, especially because our match had time cut from it at Lockdown. I definitely wanted to address a couple of things. I was just saying that if you see the show is over and you can save a minute in your match to make sure the main event gets all their time, step up. Step up and be a star. Do what you can do. That’s something that is important and that helps you rise up through the card. It makes people want to push you or promote you. If you’re a professional, they know you’re out there working for the greater good. That’s a very important aspect of pro wrestling.”

Transcript h/t: Fightful.com

Wrestling World Pays Tribute to “Superstar” Bill Dundee

As noted before, former NWA wrestler and Memphis Wrestling legend “Superstar” Bill Dundee, real name William Cruickshanks, passed away on Sunday at the age of 82.

Following his passing, Ricky Morton, Lelani Kai, Bobby Fulton, Marc Mero, and others from around the wrestling world paid tribute to Dundee on social media.

Morton stated on Facebook:

“Losing Bill Dundee hurts in a way that’s hard to explain. Bill wasn’t just somebody I wrestled with. He was somebody I spent countless miles with, countless nights in the car with, and somebody who helped shape me into the professional wrestler I became.

We spent lots of time on the road together. Those long drives, the conversations, the wrestling, the laughs, and even the hard times are memories I’ll carry with me for the rest of my life. I was young, hungry, and trying to figure out this business, and Bill taught me things you couldn’t learn from a book. He taught me how to work, how to think, how to conduct myself, and most importantly, how to become a professional.

Bill had a way of teaching you without always realizing he was teaching you. You watched him. You listened to him. You learned from him. I took so much from those years together, and a piece of the wrestler I became will always belong to Bill Dundee.

Wrestling has given me some of the greatest memories of my life, but it has also taken away a lot of people I loved along the way. Today, I’m thinking about the miles we traveled, the stories we shared, and the brotherhood that came from being in this crazy business together.

Thank you, Bill. Thank you for believing in me. Thank you for teaching me. Thank you for all those miles and all those memories.

Rest easy, Superstar.”

Kai stated on Facebook:

“I woke up this morning to the news that my longtime friend “Superstar” Bill Dundee passed away at 3:30 a.m.

Bill and I knew each other for a very long time. The wrestling world knew the Superstar—the great talker, the great wrestler and one of the men who helped make Memphis wrestling so special. I was blessed to know the man behind all of that, too.

When I was traveling through the territory, there were times when Bill and his wife opened their home to me and gave me a place to stay. That may sound like a small thing to some people, but when you spend your life traveling from town to town and living out of a suitcase, you never forget the people who welcomed you into their home and treated you like family.

Through all those years, I also became very close with Bill’s daughter Donna and his son-in-law, Bobby Eaton. Donna and Bobby both meant so much to me. Bobby was one of the sweetest and kindest people our business has ever known, and losing him was incredibly difficult. Hearing about Bill this morning brings so many memories of that family rushing back.

Bill was a true Superstar long before that word was used for everyone. He was tough, colorful, talented and larger than life. He could make a building come alive, but away from the ring, I will remember the friend who opened his door to me during those long years on the road.

My heart is with Jamie, Donna and the entire Dundee family this morning. I know there are no words that can take away the pain of losing a father and someone who was such a major part of your family.

Please keep all of them in your thoughts and prayers.

Rest in peace, Bill. Thank you for your friendship, your kindness and all the memories.”

Fulton stated on Facebook:

“Today I was woken up to the heartbreaking news that a man I looked at as a second father, “Superstar” Bill Dundee passed away. He was a man I loved and admired, he was an inspiration. He had one of the strongest work ethics in the business, one of the best that put on a pair of boots and trunks. He was a great babyface and heel. He could run the top rope, even if they weren’t tight. He and Billy Watts put Tommy & I together to form The Fantastics. Bill helped me so much, giving me one of my first breaks in the business. It’s a very sad day. What a great footprint he leaves in our hearts and minds, with all the great memories we are left with.  I will never forget you.”

Trending
  1. Andy "The Butcher" Williams Suffered Medical Emergency & Rush To Hospital at 9/5 Enjoy Wrestling Event In Pittsburgh [Update: Enjoy Wrestling Issues Statement on The Butcher's Medical Emergency]Andy “The Butcher” Williams Suffered Medical Emergency & Rush To Hospital…
  2. Andy "The Butcher" Williams Passes Away At Age 48Andy “The Butcher” Williams Passes Away At Age 48
  3. Backstage Update on Rusev's Current WWE AbscenseBackstage Update on Rusev’s Current WWE Abscense
  4. WWE: Johnny Gargano on "No More Laying Down. SmackDown Was The Beginning, Not The End", Adriana Rizzo Issues Statement on Her WWE Departure, Royce Keys Reveals Name For His New Group With OTM, Backstage Update on WWE's Pay Cut Offer Amount To Kofi Kingston & Xavier WoodsWWE: Johnny Gargano on “No More Laying Down. SmackDown Was The Beginning, Not The…
  5. AEW Collision Results – Sept. 5, 2026 – Persephone vs. Vertvixen, Andrade El Idolo vs. Gabe KiddAEW Collision Results – Sept. 5, 2026 – Persephone vs. Vertvixen, Andrade El Idolo vs. Gabe Kidd
  6. AEW: Backstage Update on AEW's Potential Plans For Britt Baker, RUSH Says "No Thanks, My Present Is AEW" In Response To Fan Telling Him He Could Be Used In AAA, Redemption PPV Buys Estimates UpdateAEW: Backstage Update on AEW’s Potential Plans For Britt Baker, RUSH Says “No…