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Dutch Mantell was invited to WWE Backlash in Tampa by "someone higher up" in the company. The WWE legend had a 20-minute conversation with Triple H during the event.
Blake Monroe teased that the May 29 episode of SmackDown in Barcelona could be when she makes her official blue brand debut, telling Marca that since WWE is heading to Spain and she is European, Barcelona might be the perfect place for her first appearance. Monroe encouraged fans to buy tickets for the show, suggesting that "The Glamour" might be part of the event alongside advertised names like Rhea Ripley and Cody Rhodes. WWE has already aired a vignette for Monroe and reports indicate she is expected to debut on SmackDown before the end of May, potentially being placed directly into the mid-card title scene near the WWE Women's United States Championship picture.
Ronda Rousey claims that women headlining WWE and other combat sports events can be traced back to her proving their commercial viability. Speaking to SI's The Takedown, Rousey said she is "very aware that women are headlining WWE because of me" and that female athletes making big paydays in boxing, bare-knuckle boxing, and other contact sports stems from what she accomplished commercially. Rousey expressed pride in seeing women's success across combat sports and said she's glad things have changed so much that people forget how they used to be.
WWE announced it will run 10 new non-televised house shows across the United States during July and August as part of its Summer 2026 Tour, marking a return to more live events after years of scaling back following the pandemic. According to Dave Meltzer in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, the decision is driven by WWE wanting its younger roster to gain more live in-ring experience away from television cameras, with the company believing it's now financially hot enough for house shows to be profitable again. Major names advertised for the tour include Cody Rhodes, Oba Femi, Rhea Ripley, Seth Rollins, Jade Cargill, Trick Williams, and Drew McIntyre, with ticket prices expected to be cheaper than televised events.
According to Dave Meltzer in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, WWE sources are describing Asuka as "semi-retired" as she returns to Japan to deal with family-related matters, with her WWE future now considered "unclear" internally. The situation developed following Asuka's emotional loss to Iyo Sky at WWE Backlash, where she was seen waving goodbye to fans, and continued on Raw when she told Sky "See you later" before leaving the arena. While Sean Ross Sapp reported that people inside WWE don't believe Asuka has wrestled her final match and she signed a long-term contract extension in 2024, even WWE sources are uncertain about her long-term role or if she will return.
According to Dave Meltzer in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Maxxine Dupri's brief appearance sitting in a car with Logan Paul and Austin Theory during The Vision's departure on the May 11 episode of Raw could indicate WWE is considering her for a different kind of television role. Dupri has not had a proper singles match on WWE television since losing to Natalya on the March 16, 2026 episode of Raw and has mostly disappeared from an in-ring role since then. Meltzer noted that WWE may want to keep Dupri involved because of her television presence, even if she is not currently being pushed as a wrestler.
JBL expressed confidence that Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods from The New Day will find success after leaving WWE. John "Bradshaw" Layfield believes the former WWE tag team members will become bigger stars outside of the company.
CM Punk has been removed from promotional material for WWE's European Summer Tour and several upcoming June episodes of WWE Raw, despite previously being advertised for the overseas run beginning May 28 in Liverpool through June 22 in London. According to Dave Meltzer in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, WWE sources claim there is nothing more to the situation than a schedule change and insist there are no deeper backstage issues. Punk's next officially advertised WWE appearance is the July 6 edition of RAW in Chicago.
Ronda Rousey criticized WWE's creative process in an interview with The Takedown on SI, stating that the lack of collaboration and last-minute nature of storyline decisions made working there difficult. She argued that WWE missed opportunities to plan long-term storylines from WrestleMania to WrestleMania like a TV show and failed to properly collaborate with talent, instead throwing together storylines at the last minute. Rousey said this approach resulted in disconnected storylines that don't make sense and created unnecessary stress rather than allowing for proper planning and teamwork.
Liv Morgan described her WrestleMania 42 entrance as the "most amazing experience" she's had since achieving success in WWE. She also indicated she might "run it back" at SummerSlam.
John Cena explained that modern WWE has become too physically demanding for him at 49 years old, stating "The product is so fast, and time's undefeated" during an appearance on TODAY with Jenna & Sheinelle. Cena said he retired because he didn't want fans to see a watered-down version of himself, fulfilling a promise he made years ago to step away "when I'm a step slower." He officially retired from active competition after losing to Gunther at Saturday Night's Main Event in December 2025, but continues working with WWE in other capacities including hosting WrestleMania 42 and scouting developmental talent.
John Cena addressed criticism about WWE's aging main event scene during an interview with SHAK Wrestling, explaining that his generation of stars including Randy Orton, Batista, and Brock Lesnar had an "anomaly of longevity and success" that naturally took up main event spots for years. The 17-time World Champion said WWE is now in a transition period where new performers getting main event spots happen to be seasoned talent who connect with audiences, though he noted the company has plenty of younger talent and didn't rule out a young world champion in the near future.