Afa Anoa’i Receives Surgery, ‘WWE World’ Competes at WrestleMania, and Slammy Awards Nominees Announced

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As we previously reported here on eWn, WWE Hall of Famer Afa Anoa’i (The Wild Samoan) fractured his back in two places after a fall.

Anoa’i was scheduled to undergo surgery earlier this week to fix the fractures in his back, but it was postponed because he was also set for a heart valve replacement surgery and doctors were figuring out whether to do that first.

Pwinsider is reporting that Afa was operated on today and the surgery was successful. Anoa’i will still need to undergo heart valve replacement surgery at some point.

On behalf of everyone here on eWn, we send our best wishes to Anao’i and his family.

WWE has announced the schedule of events for ‘WWE World’ at WrestleMania 40, which runs from April 4-8 in Philadelphia, PA.

You can check out the official announcement below:

LIVE PROGRAMMING AND SHOW FEATURES AT WWE WORLD UNVEILED

WWE World at WrestleMania, a five-day interactive fan experience coming to Philadelphia, brings the WWE Universe unrivaled access to experiences they cannot get anywhere else. With a full schedule of programming just announced, these must-see events are the ultimate way to enjoy WrestleMania Week.

Thursday, April 4

WWE2K24 Showdown
First-ever WWE 2K24 Gaming Tournament featuring WWE Superstars Xavier Woods, The Miz, R-Truth, Zelina Vega, Bayley and more!
WWE World Main Stage
Hear from “The American Nightmare” Cody Rhodes and WWE Hall of Famer Rey Mysterio

Friday, April 5

Pat McAfee Show Live
Live broadcast of the must-see Pat McAfee Show featuring special guest, Triple H
Up Up Down Down Live Stream
The Up Up Down Down live stream featuring WWE Superstars Xavier Woods, Tyler Breeze and more!
WWE World Main Stage
Hear from Becky Lynch and the WWE World Heavyweight Champion Seth “Freakin” Rollins

Saturday, April 6

Bray Wyatt: Becoming Immortal Documentary Panel
Panel discussion on WWE’s newest documentary on Peacock featuring Big E, Natalya, JoJo, Taylor Rotunda plus surprises you won’t want to miss!
WWE World Main Stage
Hear from Charlotte Flair, Drew McIntyre and Randy Orton

Sunday, April 7

The Slammys: The Fans Choice Awards
The Slammys: The Fans Choice Awards is LIVE from WWE World and hosted by Cathy Kelley and Big E with special appearances by WWE Superstars!
WWE Mattel Elite Squad Panel featuring CM Punk
Hear from CM Punk and Mattel personalities discuss Mattel products

WWE World Main Stage
Hear from WWE Women’s World Championship Rhea Ripley

Monday, April 8

Pat McAfee Show Live
Live broadcast of the must-see Pat McAfee Show featuring WWE Superstars
WWE World Main Stage
Hear from Bianca Belair and Jey Uso

Fans can take part in these interactive experiences at WWE World every day:

Superstar Row

Autograph Stages
Kids Zone
Tattoo Pavilion
WrestleMania Superstore
Superstar Entrance
And more!
Check WWE.COM and follow WWE social media platforms to stay up-to-date on future WWE World announcements. General Admission tickets are onsale now.

WWE WORLD HOURS

Thursd‍ay, A‍pril 4: 12‍pm – 8‍pm

Frid‍ay, A‍pril 5: 10‍am – 7‍pm

Satu‍rday, A‍pril 6: 10‍am – 5‍pm

Sun‍day, A‍pril 7: 10‍am – 5‍pm

Mon‍day, A‍pril 8: 10‍am – 5‍pm

WWE WORLD LOCATION

Pennsylvania Convention Center

Philadelphia, PA

WWE has announced the nominees for the 2024 Slammy Awards, with voting officially open.

You can check out the full list of nominees below:

Vote now for The 2024 Slammys: The Fans Choice Awards
The Slammy Awards are back!

WWE’s iconic award show makes its triumphant return when The 2024 Slammys: The Fans Choice Awards stream live from WWE World at WrestleMania on WWE’s social platforms on Sunday, April 7.

The best part of it all? You, the WWE Universe, will be voting to decide who will leave WrestleMania Weekend with a Slammy in their hands!

Voting is open now, so be sure to make your voice heard for your favorite WWE Superstars, matches and moments of the past year.

The 2024 Slammys: The Fans Choice Awards will be hosted by Big E and Cathy Kelley with special appearances by WWE Superstars, so be sure to visit WWE World at WrestleMania if you’re in Philadelphia to watch live, or tune in to WWE’s social channels to watch from home.

Click the links below to vote in each category:

Female Superstar of the Year
* Rhea Ripley
* Bianca Belair
* Bayley
* IYO SKY
* Becky Lynch

Male Superstar of the Year
* Cody Rhodes
* Roman Reigns
* Seth “Freakin” Rollins
* Gunther
* Logan Paul

Best Entrance
* Cody Rhodes
* Roman Reigns
* Bianca Belair
* Seth “Freakin” Rollins
* Rhea Ripley
* Becky Lynch
* The Rock
* Dominik Mysterio (WrestleMania 39)

Return of the Year
* CM Punk
* The Rock
* Nia Jax
* Randy Orton
* Naomi

Faction of the Year
* The Judgment Day
* Alpha Academy
* Imperium
* The Bloodline
* Damage CTRL

Rivalry of the Year
* Seth “Freakin” Rollins vs. Drew McIntyre
* “Dirty” Dominik Mysterio vs. Rey Mysterio
* Bianca Belair vs. Damage CTRL
* Roman Reigns vs. Cody Rhodes
* R-Truth vs. The Judgment Day

NXT Superstar of the Year
* Ilja Dragunov
* Carmelo Hayes
* Lyra Valkyria
* Tiffany Stratton
* Bron Breakker

Match of the Year
* Bad Bunny vs. Damian Priest – San Juan Street Fight (Backlash 2023)
* Roman Reigns vs. Sami Zayn (Elimination Chamber 2023)
* Gunther vs. Chad Gable (Raw 9/4/23)
* Asuka vs. Bianca Belair vs. Charlotte Flair (SummerSlam 2023)
* Charlotte Flair vs. Rhea Ripley (WrestleMania 39)

OMG Moment of the Year
* Rey Mysterio punches “Dirty” Dominik Mysterio (SmackDown 3/24/23)
* CM Punk returns to WWE (Survivor Series 2023)
* IYO SKY cashing in the Money in The Bank Contract (SummerSlam 2023)
* The Rock slaps Cody Rhodes (WrestleMania XL Press Conference)
* Damage CTRL turns on Bayley (SmackDown 2/2/24)
* Cody Rhodes slaps The Rock (SmackDown 3/8/24)

Social Star of the Year
* Grayson Waller
* Logan Paul
* Drew McIntyre
* Chelsea Green
* Liv Morgan

Breakout Superstar of the Year
* Jey Uso
* Tiffany Stratton
* Pretty Deadly
* Dragon Lee
* LA Knight

WWE Hall of Famer Afa Anoa’i, also known as The Wild Samoan, recently underwent successful surgery to fix fractures in his back. Anoa’i had fractured his back in two places after a fall and was scheduled for surgery earlier this week. However, the surgery was postponed as doctors were deciding whether to prioritize a heart valve replacement surgery.

According to reports from Pwinsider, Afa Anoa’i underwent the surgery and it was successful. However, he will still need to undergo the heart valve replacement surgery at a later date. The eWn team sends their best wishes to Anoa’i and his family during this time.

In other WWE news, the schedule of events for ‘WWE World’ at WrestleMania 40 has been announced. ‘WWE World’ is a five-day interactive fan experience that will take place from April 4-8 in Philadelphia, PA. The schedule includes various live programming and show features that offer fans unrivaled access to experiences they cannot get anywhere else.

On Thursday, April 4, there will be the first-ever WWE 2K24 Gaming Tournament featuring WWE Superstars Xavier Woods, The Miz, R-Truth, Zelina Vega, Bayley, and more. Fans can also hear from “The American Nightmare” Cody Rhodes and WWE Hall of Famer Rey Mysterio on the WWE World Main Stage.

Friday, April 5, will feature the live broadcast of the Pat McAfee Show with special guest Triple H. There will also be a live stream of Up Up Down Down featuring WWE Superstars Xavier Woods and Tyler Breeze. Fans can hear from Becky Lynch and the WWE World Heavyweight Champion Seth “Freakin” Rollins on the WWE World Main Stage.

Saturday, April 6, will include a panel discussion on Bray Wyatt’s documentary “Becoming Immortal” on Peacock. The panel will feature Big E, Natalya, JoJo, Taylor Rotunda, and surprises that fans won’t want to miss. Charlotte Flair, Drew McIntyre, and Randy Orton will also be speaking on the WWE World Main Stage.

On Sunday, April 7, fans can enjoy “The Slammys: The Fans Choice Awards” live from WWE World. The awards show will be hosted by Cathy Kelley and Big E, with special appearances by WWE Superstars. There will also be a WWE Mattel Elite Squad Panel featuring CM Punk, where fans can hear from CM Punk and Mattel personalities discussing Mattel products. WWE Women’s World Champion Rhea Ripley will also be speaking on the WWE World Main Stage.

Lastly, on Monday, April 8, there will be another live broadcast of the Pat McAfee Show featuring WWE Superstars. Fans can also hear from Bianca Belair and Jey Uso on the WWE World Main Stage.

Throughout the five-day event, fans can also take part in interactive experiences at WWE World, including Superstar Row, Autograph Stages, Kids Zone, Tattoo Pavilion, WrestleMania Superstore, Superstar Entrance, and more. General admission tickets are currently on sale.

The WWE World hours of operation during WrestleMania Week are as follows:
– Thursday, April 4: 12pm – 8pm
– Friday, April 5: 10am – 7pm
– Saturday, April 6: 10am – 5pm
– Sunday, April 7: 10am – 5pm
– Monday, April 8: 10am – 5pm

All these events will take place at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia, PA.

In addition to the WrestleMania events, WWE has also announced the nominees for the 2024 Slammy Awards. These awards are voted on by the WWE Universe, and the winners will be announced during The 2024 Slammys: The Fans Choice Awards, which will stream live from WWE World at WrestleMania on Sunday, April 7. The awards show will be hosted by Big E and Cathy Kelley, with special appearances by WWE Superstars.

Fans can vote for their favorite WWE Superstars, matches, and moments of the past year in categories such as Female Superstar of the Year, Male Superstar of the Year, Best Entrance, Return of the Year, Faction of the Year, Rivalry of the Year, NXT Superstar of the Year, Match of the Year, OMG Moment of the Year, Social Star of the Year, and Breakout Superstar of the Year. Voting is open now, and fans can visit WWE’s website or social media platforms to cast their votes.

Overall, WrestleMania 40 promises to be an exciting event for WWE fans, with a range of interactive experiences and live programming. The successful surgery of Afa Anoa’i and the announcement of the Slammy Awards nominees add to the anticipation and excitement surrounding WrestleMania Week