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Michael Hogue, who has been accused of allegedly shooting and murdering former WWE developmental talent Kevin Nikel this past July in Arkansas after an argument that also included Nikel's ex-wife, Amanda Marie Penny, had his existing parole from another case revoked yesterday. Hogue released from prison in October 2025 after a previous conviction for Aggravated Assault and Criminal Mischief in the First Degree. He was scheduled to be on parole through April 2033.
Hogue, who was already incarcerated following his arrest in the Nikel case and given $750,000 bond, will remain behind bars even if he makes bond. Hogue was under parole through 4/29/33.
Hogue and Penny are slated for a court hearing on 1/5/26. Hogue has been charged with 1st Degree Murder. In Arkansas, if Hogue is convicted, he is facing between 10 and 40 years or life imprisonment Penny has been charged with Accomplice to Murder in the 1st Degree. In Arkansas, the penalties to the charge are the same as 1st Degree Murder, so Penny is facing between 10 and 40 years or life imprisonment.
The United States Marshals Service announced:their arrest this past July.
They have also been each charged with Possession of Firearm by Certain Persons. In Arkansas, that is punishable by up to 20 years in prison, but it can be escalated to a Class B Felony with enhanced penalties if the person charged has a prior violent felony or if the possession occurs during another crime.
Nikel, who performed in the ring as Ivan Warsaw and Knuckles Madsen, passed away on 7/11 in in Rogers, Arkansas after being found by authorities. He had been shot in his abdomen . Knikel was transported to the hospital but succumbed to his wounds.
Nikel's mother, Susan Kinderman spoke with CBS affiliate THV channel 11 after the arrests, confirming Penny was Nikel's ex-wife and that their divorce had been finalized several days before his death. "There was some kind of an argument. Maybe there was texting going back and forth. I think they enticed Kevin to meet up with them. I was told by the detectives that there was some kind of altercation. Shots were fired, and Kevin was killed, and that's all we really know."
Nikel and Penny had met in High School, Kinderman said. "She was his first friend that he met in high school. They were dating, then they got married. They were happy for a long time, and then I guess they started to grow apart. And, you know, neither one of them were happy. Kevin took a job where he could be gone two weeks at a time, and things just progressively got worse, until they divorced."
Working under the name Knuckles Madsen, Nikel was under a WWE developmental deal in 2012. He appeared regularly on WWE NXT live events but only made a few appearances on television. He exited NXT in December 2013 and wrestled in Arkansas, Texas and Memphis through 2024, including headlining TCW events against Jerry Lawler.
"I just hope that we have a lot of answers. I know that the justice system will work. Whatever penalty they get, I'm fine with. But instead of that, I want to make sure that we know exactly what happened and why. I would like to hear it from them. I don't know if I will, but I would rather hear from those two, and we'll just have to see how that comes out," Kinderman said.
Nikel was only 41 years old.
Penny and Hogue are each currently incarcerated in Benton County Jail in Arkansas.
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