Morning Daily News Update: September 22, 2026 – WWE Files New SmackDown Championship Trademark

Morning all!

It’s Tuesday, and it’s time for the Morning Daily News Update!

We’ve also got some new blog posts to take a look at:

Jabroniville has a new Joshi Spotlight for the AJW Japan Grand Prix Finals
LScisco posted a new WTWWW for WWF Monday Night Raw from July 8, 1996
Kat reviewed last night’s episode of WWE Raw

WWE files new SmackDown trademark related to championship belts

WWE has filed a new trademark application for the “SMACKDOWN” name covering championship belts. The company filed the application with the USPTO on September 18, 2026, listing goods and services that include championship trophy belts made primarily from common metal. WWE currently sells replica championship belts through its official shop, while titles associated with SmackDown include the Undisputed WWE Championship, the Men’s and Women’s United States Championships and the WWE Tag Team Championship. However, none of the WWE Championships currently associated with the brand carry the SmackDown name.

Mara Sadé Confirms She’s With AEW

Mara Sade appeared to confirm reports that she is joining AEW, then quickly removed the reference from her official website. Sade was reportedly expected to sign with AEW after leaving TNA Wrestling, and her website was recently updated to say she had made her mark in “WWE, TNA, and now AEW (All Elite Wrestling).” The AEW reference has since been deleted, although an extra comma left behind suggests the section was edited after fans noticed the change. Sade has previously worked with WWE and TNA, but AEW has not yet officially announced her signing.

Franco Colombo Dead, Former CMLL Wrestler & Booker Dies At Age 73

Former CMLL wrestler and booker Franco Colombo, real name Javier Esparza Coronado, died at age 73. His niece announced his death on Facebook, paying tribute to a man she described as “very loved by everyone.” Coronado trained under Diablo Velasco and began wrestling for EMLL, later CMLL, during the 1970s, spending most of his career unmasked and holding the Mexican Welterweight Championship for 92 days across 1980 and 1981. After initially leaving in the late 1980s, he returned backstage and played a major role in overhauling CMLL’s developmental system, training or hiring many of the promotion’s future trainers. He ultimately left CMLL in 2021.

WWE NXT Lineup Confirmed For September 22, 2026

Check out the lineup for tonight’s episode of WWE NXT.