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According to Bootleg Kev, Jelly Roll attempted to persuade WWE to remove him from the Randy Orton and Cody Rhodes feud in order to be placed into a more comedic storyline for WrestleMania.
TKO President Mark Shapiro praised Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson's performance as a board member since joining in January 2024, saying Johnson has exceeded internal expectations and stays constantly involved despite his numerous other business ventures. Shapiro highlighted Johnson's responsiveness, work ethic, and magnetic personality as major strengths he brings to the company. The Rock's last WWE appearance was during WWE Elimination Chamber in 2025, where he played a role in John Cena's heel turn heading into WrestleMania season.
John Cena addressed fan concerns about the John Cena Classic's fan-voting format, defending that wins and losses will still matter because victories can generate crowd reactions that influence voting. Cena explained the tournament is designed to reward standout performances even from wrestlers who don't officially win their matches, citing examples like Shawn Michaels vs. The Undertaker where the losing wrestler left a stronger impression. He emphasized that the event is intended as a standalone exhibition to give wrestlers a platform to shine without requiring lengthy storyline builds.
John Cena revealed on the Sports Illustrated Takedown podcast that he personally pitched both his WWE retirement tour and the newly announced "John Cena Classic" to WWE management. According to Cena, the retirement tour took a year and a half to develop and another year and a half for WWE to curate after accepting his pitch, while the John Cena Classic took four to five months for him to present properly and has been in development for about two months. Cena explained that the John Cena Classic is designed to function like WWE's version of an All-Star Game, featuring both WWE and NXT talent in unique matches with fan voting to determine standout performers.
TKO President Mark Shapiro has commented on the strengths that Dwayne Johnson brings to the board of directors. Johnson, better known as WWE star The Rock, is a member of TKO's board of directors.
John Cena explained on the Sports Illustrated Takedown podcast that he decided to retire from WWE competition because modern WWE talent are performing at a physical speed he can no longer match. Cena said he tracks his physical performance through various metrics and realized his numbers were declining despite his training efforts, leading him to step away rather than risk damaging his legacy or being disrespectful to fans, the company, and new talent. He stressed that his retirement is permanent and fans should not expect any surprise comeback matches, though he plans to remain involved with WWE creatively.
TKO President Mark Shapiro has addressed the decision to run WWE WrestleMania in Las Vegas for two consecutive years, suggesting "maybe it's a mistake." Shapiro commented on the company's choice to hold the event in the same city back-to-back.
A backstage report reveals that WWE had alternate creative plans for WrestleMania 42. According to the report, these alternate plans contributed to the marquee show receiving a mixed reaction.
During Monday's episode of "Raw", several WWE Superstars including Charlotte Flair and The Miz were announced for meet and greets at the UFC Freedom 250 fan fest next month.
Stephanie McMahon has revealed details about her trademark WWE slap, sharing what she would do that clearly indicated she was about to slap someone. McMahon explained the secret behind how to tell when she was preparing to deliver one of her signature slaps during WWE programming.
Chelsea Green revealed her first look at her role as Shelby Hughes in Blue Ridge season 2, confirming the new season premieres July 19 on INSP TV. The former Women's United States Champion thanked the cast, crew, and filmmaker Gary Wheeler for what she called "a perfect introduction to tv" acting. Green had previously announced joining the series in October 2024, sharing behind-the-scenes photos from her first day of filming.
WWE has confirmed the lineup of Superstars appearing at the UFC Freedom 250 Fan Fest on June 13-14 in Washington, D.C., with Charlotte Flair, The Miz, Trick Williams, Chelsea Green, The Usos, Tiffany Stratton, and Bron Breakker scheduled for meet-and-greets. The fan fest will take place at The Ellipse outside the White House during the same weekend as UFC Freedom 250, with free tickets available through a random draw. Michael Cole announced the WWE participation during Monday Night RAW, promoting the crossover event under the TKO umbrella.