WWE's flagship programme Raw has moved to Netflix meaning that, for the first time since its launch in 1993, the weekly show is available for streaming around the globe. Fans who live in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Egypt can also stream other WWE shows such as SmackDown (on Saturdays) and NXT (on Wednesdays), with episodes then available on-demand.
This move has signalled a new era in the professional wrestling company's history. It's also an opportunity for old fans to once again get back into watching the WWE, with more ways now to catch its programming. While the days of watching stars like Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair and Bret Hart are in the past, several wrestlers have stepped into the limelight to help lead the company into the future.
If you're unfamiliar with the current roster, here are the 10 wrestlers to know.
Cody Rhodes
Age: 39
Title: Undisputed WWE Champion
Career highlights: WWE Crown Jewel champion, 2023 and 2024 Royal Rumble winner, two-time Intercontinental champion, four-time Raw tag team champion
Who they’ll remind you of: Hulk Hogan. Rhodes has become the face of the WWE. He won the undisputed WWE Championship at this year’s WrestleMania XL and ended Roman Reigns’ 1,316-day run in a long rivalry that began after Rhodes won the 2023 Royal Rumble.
Gunther
Age: 37
Title: World Heavyweight Champion
Career highlights: WWE Intercontinental champion, NXT UK champion, 2024 King of the Ring winner
Who they’ll remind you of: William Regal. The Austrian wrestler has technical prowess, stiff striking style and a no-nonsense demeanour. Much like Regal, Gunther embodies the essence of a traditional grappler with his sheer in-ring dominance.
Rhea Ripley
Age: 28
Title: WWE Women’s Champion
Career highlights: Two-time women’s world champion, WWE Raw women’s champion, women’s tag team champion, NXT women’s champion, NXT UK women’s champion, 2023 Women’s Royal Rumble winner
Who they’ll remind you of: Chyna. Ripley is strong, dominant and stays true to herself, embodying many of the qualities that made the Ninth Wonder of the World such a trailblazer during her time in the WWE in the early 2000s.
Tiffany Stratton
Age: 25
Title: WWE Women’s Champion
Career highlights: WWE women’s champ, NXT women’s champion, 2024 Women’s Money in the Bank winner
Who they’ll remind you of: Trish Stratus. Confident and charismatic, Stratton is athletic thanks to her gymnastics background while also being glamorous. She has impressive in-ring skills and a larger-than-life personality.
CM Punk
Age: 46
Career highlights: Two-time WWE Champion, three-time world heavyweight champion, ECW champ, WWE Intercontinental champion, world tag team champion, 2008 and 2009 Money in the Bank winner
Who they’ll remind you of: Bret Hart. CM Punk has had a tumultuous relationship with the WWE, abruptly quitting the company at one point and making a surprising return nearly a decade later. Punk is also known for his in-ring storytelling and outspoken nature.
Seth Rollins
Age: 38
Career highlights: Two-time WWE Champion, World Heavyweight Champion, two-time WWE universal champion, NXT champion, two-time WWE Intercontinental champion, two-time US champion, six-time Raw tag team champion, 2019 men’s Royal Rumble winner, 2014 Money in the Bank winner
Who they’ll remind you of: Shawn Michaels. Rollins's persona, athleticism and sometimes over-the-top outfits might remind fans of the Heartbreak Kid. He's also shown he can lead the company as a two-time WWE Champion, seeming following in familiar footsteps.
Sami Zayn
Age: 40
Career highlights: NXT champion, four-time WWE Intercontinental champion, WWE Raw tag team champion, WWE SmackDown tag team champion
Who they’ll remind you of: Mick Foley. Zayn has become a fan favourite thanks to his underdog persona and his quirky humour, which has helped him stand out with fans.
Kevin Owens
Age: 40
Career highlights: WWE universal champion, NXT champion, two-time WWE Intercontinental champion, three-time WWE US champion, WWE Raw tag team champion, WWE SmackDown tag team champion
Who they’ll remind you of: Chris Jericho. Besides both being Canadian, Owens has similar skills on the mic as he tends to incorporate clever promos and sarcastic insults at his opponents.
Roman Reigns
Age: 39
Career highlights: Four-time WWE Champion, two-time WWE universal champion, WWE Intercontinental champion, WWE US champion, WWE tag team champion, 2015 Royal Rumble winner
Who they’ll remind you of: Ric Flair. Reigns has had one of the longest championship reigns and was the leader of the Bloodline, much like how Flair once led the Four Horsemen. Although Reigns doesn't speak much on the mic, he still manages to exude confidence and charisma.
Solo Sikoa
Age: 31
Career highlights: NXT North American champion
Who they’ll remind you of: The Big Boss Man. Originally debuting as an enforcer for Reigns, Solo had a similarly quiet persona and no-nonsense protector role in the Bloodline. However, his character has since evolved, leading him to have his own faction and more time spent on the mic.
THE BIO
Favourite car: Koenigsegg Agera RS or Renault Trezor concept car.
Favourite book: I Am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes or Red Notice by Bill Browder.
Biggest inspiration: My husband Nik. He really got me through a lot with his positivity.
Favourite holiday destination: Being at home in Australia, as I travel all over the world for work. It’s great to just hang out with my husband and family.
The specs: 2018 Nissan Altima
Price, base / as tested: Dh78,000 / Dh97,650
Engine: 2.5-litre in-line four-cylinder
Power: 182hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 244Nm @ 4,000rpm
Transmission: Continuously variable tranmission
Fuel consumption, combined: 7.6L / 100km
DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE
Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, Emma Corrin
Director: Shawn Levy
Rating: 3/5
THREE
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Brief scores:
Scotland 371-5, 50 overs (C MacLeod 140 no, K Coetzer 58, G Munsey 55)
England 365 all out, 48.5 overs (J Bairstow 105, A Hales 52; M Watt 3-55)
Result: Scotland won by six runs
Premier Futsal 2017 Finals
Al Wasl Football Club; six teams, five-a-side
Delhi Dragons: Ronaldinho
Bengaluru Royals: Paul Scholes
Mumbai Warriors: Ryan Giggs
Chennai Ginghams: Hernan Crespo
Telugu Tigers: Deco
Kerala Cobras: Michel Salgado
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
'Worse than a prison sentence'
Marie Byrne, a counsellor who volunteers at the UAE government's mental health crisis helpline, said the ordeal the crew had been through would take time to overcome.
“It was worse than a prison sentence, where at least someone can deal with a set amount of time incarcerated," she said.
“They were living in perpetual mystery as to how their futures would pan out, and what that would be.
“Because of coronavirus, the world is very different now to the one they left, that will also have an impact.
“It will not fully register until they are on dry land. Some have not seen their young children grow up while others will have to rebuild relationships.
“It will be a challenge mentally, and to find other work to support their families as they have been out of circulation for so long. Hopefully they will get the care they need when they get home.”
How to avoid crypto fraud
- Use unique usernames and passwords while enabling multi-factor authentication.
- Use an offline private key, a physical device that requires manual activation, whenever you access your wallet.
- Avoid suspicious social media ads promoting fraudulent schemes.
- Only invest in crypto projects that you fully understand.
- Critically assess whether a project’s promises or returns seem too good to be true.
- Only use reputable platforms that have a track record of strong regulatory compliance.
- Store funds in hardware wallets as opposed to online exchanges.
Full list of Emmy 2020 nominations
LEAD ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Anthony Anderson, Black-ish
Don Cheadle, Black Monday
Ted Danson, The Good Place
Michael Douglas, The Kominsky Method
Eugene Levy, Schitt’s Creek
Ramy Youssef, Ramy
LEAD ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
Christina Applegate, Dead to Me
Rachel Brosnahan, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
Linda Cardellini, Dead to Me
Catherine O’Hara, Schitt’s Creek
Issa Rae, Insecure
Tracee Ellis Ross, Black-ish
OUTSTANDING VARIETY/TALK SERIES
The Daily Show with Trevor Noah
Full Frontal with Samantha Bee
Jimmy Kimmel Live
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
LEAD ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Jason Bateman, Ozark
Sterling K. Brown, This Is Us
Steve Carell, The Morning Show
Brian Cox, Succession
Billy Porter, Pose
Jeremy Strong, Succession
LEAD ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
Jennifer Aniston, The Morning Show
Olivia Colman, The Crown
Jodie Comer, Killing Eve
Laura Linney, Ozark
Sandra Oh, Killing Eve
Zendaya, Euphoria
OUTSTANDING REALITY/COMPETITION PROGRAM
The Masked Singer
Nailed It!
RuPaul’s Drag Race
Top Chef
The Voice
LEAD ACTOR IN A LIMITED SERIES/TV MOVIE
Jeremy Irons, Watchmen
Hugh Jackman, Bad Education
Paul Mescal, Normal People
Jeremy Pope, Hollywood
Mark Ruffalo, I Know This Much Is True
LEAD ACTRESS IN A LIMITED SERIES/TV MOVIE
Cate Blanchett, Mrs. America
Shira Haas, Unorthodox
Regina King, Watchmen
Octavia Spencer, Self Made
Kerry Washington, Little Fires Everywhere
OUTSTANDING LIMITED SERIES
Little Fires Everywhere
Mrs. America
Unbelievable
Unorthodox
Watchmen
OUTSTANDING COMEDY SERIES
Curb Your Enthusiasm
Dead to Me
The Good Place
Insecure
The Kominsky Method
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
Schitt’s Creek
What We Do In The Shadows
OUTSTANDING DRAMA SERIES
Better Call Saul
The Crown
The Handmaid’s Tale
Killing Eve
The Mandalorian
Ozark
Stranger Things
Succession
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champioons League semi-final:
First leg: Liverpool 5 Roma 2
Second leg: Wednesday, May 2, Stadio Olimpico, Rome
TV: BeIN Sports, 10.45pm (UAE)
The specS: 2018 Toyota Camry
Price: base / as tested: Dh91,000 / Dh114,000
Engine: 3.5-litre V6
Gearbox: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 298hp @ 6,600rpm
Torque: 356Nm @ 4,700rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 7.0L / 100km
