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WWE Hall of Famer JBL believes a recently-released star has main event potential. According to JBL, the wrestler would need to change a key part of his character to reach that level.
WWE's Seth Rollins has commented on Bron Breakker's recent attacks on him ahead of their scheduled match at Backlash 2026. Rollins also responded to comments made by Paul Heyman regarding their upcoming encounter.
Stephen A. Smith claimed on the May 8, 2026 episode of ESPN's First Take that he would be a bigger heel than Paul Heyman in WWE, stating "I would out-heel the heel" and that he "dress[es] a lot better than Paul Heyman." According to a WrestleVotes Radio report, WWE officials are "pleased and enthusiastic" about Smith becoming more involved with the company, with an "expected payoff" planned for later this summer tied to a major WWE premium live event. WWE reportedly views Smith as a celebrity personality who could get involved physically in angles without becoming an actual wrestler, similar to Jon Stewart's past involvement with the company.
WWE Hall of Famer and manager Paul Heyman has teased the possibility of taking on another young WWE star as a client. Heyman suggested he may add a new wrestler to his management roster.
CM Punk appeared at the May 7, 2026 edition of Night Of Too Many Stars, sharing the stage with Steve Carell and Jon Stewart for a WWE-themed comedy segment that included a WWE 2K26 showdown. During the segment, Punk jokingly called out Carell over "The Office's" "Scott's Tots" episode before they played the video game, with the comedy spilling into real life when Carell attempted to run off stage and Punk chased him down with a ragdoll version of Carell. This marked Punk's first major public appearance since the April 20 episode of WWE Raw, though he is reportedly not currently scheduled to appear at WWE Backlash.
A report has debunked claims of tension between Roman Reigns and WWE following a recent change to his June schedule.
WWE SmackDown's Gingerbread Man angle involving the feud between Sami Zayn and Trick Williams has reportedly received pushback from WWE's creative team. The storyline has been heavily criticized internally according to reports.
WWE's Seth Rollins shared his thoughts on the World Heavyweight Championship match between Roman Reigns and Jacob Fatu scheduled for Backlash 2026. Rollins expects the two competitors to have "the worst kind of fights" due to their family connection.
WWE has announced two major additions to the May 8 SmackDown episode hours before the show goes live, with Jacob Fatu set to open the show ahead of his WWE World Heavyweight Championship match against Roman Reigns at Backlash. The company also added a match between Damian Priest and Talla Tonga to the card, joining previously announced segments including GUNTHER's appearance, a Women's United States Championship match between Tiffany Stratton and Kiana James, and a six-woman tag team match featuring Rhea Ripley, Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss against Fatal Influence.
According to a Wrestling Observer Newsletter report, WWE recently scrapped major creative plans that had GUNTHER lined up for a program with Roman Reigns, with the company even shooting an interview to begin that direction. WWE has now pivoted to setting up Cody Rhodes vs. GUNTHER as the next WWE Championship feud, following GUNTHER's attack on Rhodes after the May 1 episode of SmackDown where he choked out the champion and stood over him with the Undisputed WWE Championship.
According to a Wrestling Observer Newsletter report, fewer than half a dozen WWE wrestlers have been approached to take pay cuts under the company's TKO-era contract restructuring. Dave Meltzer reported that these wrestlers were already viewed as lower-priority talent that WWE creative had little interest in featuring prominently, and they would have been released entirely if they hadn't accepted the reduced deals. The strategy involves keeping certain veterans under contract at lower rates while gradually phasing down their in-ring roles and transitioning them toward more promotional company positions.
JC Mateo was signed to a WWE contract in 2025 and was originally planned for a "big push" before his association with The MFTs. WWE has since scrapped plans for singles feuds involving Mateo with "key people."