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A backstage report has provided new details about the latest wave of WWE departures and cuts. The report includes information on who made the decision to release talents and reveals reactions to some of the departures.
Vince Russo claimed on his YouTube channel that Brock Lesnar "absolutely hates" Triple H and suggested there is real tension between the two behind the scenes. Russo questioned whether Lesnar's retirement gesture at WrestleMania 42, where he left his boots in the ring after losing to Oba Femi, was done without informing WWE leadership, stating that if true, it would indicate Lesnar has "zero respect for Triple H." While WWE internally believes Lesnar's WrestleMania moment was a genuine farewell, there is talk of a possible final match for Lesnar at SummerSlam.
WWE SmackDown will likely have a change in runtime that reports indicate will take effect in the next few weeks. The specific details of the runtime change were not provided.
Former WWE writer Vince Russo criticized Triple H for appearing prominently in WWE promotional materials, including WrestleMania ads and billboards, calling it "1,000% ego" during a recent podcast appearance. Russo argued that wrestling executives should focus on promoting the performers rather than themselves, stating that putting company leadership "in front of the boys" creates problems behind the scenes. He specifically questioned Triple H's prominent placement in WrestleMania advertising despite not being an active wrestler or main event performer.
Vince Russo responded to Mark Shapiro's recent comments claiming TKO holds full authority over WWE creative decisions, stating he doesn't believe that's accurate based on footage from WWE creative meetings. Russo suggested that TKO may be "protecting Triple H" with these public statements, pointing to how Paul Levesque appears to be the central figure making final calls in creative meetings shown on WWE programming. Russo also questioned whether Shapiro's comments about creative control might specifically refer to celebrity-related decisions rather than weekly wrestling storylines.
WWE Hall of Famer The Undertaker has explained how his creative role with AAA has changed his perspective on professional wrestling. The WWE legend detailed how working in a creative capacity has altered his view of the wrestling business.
Eric Bischoff revealed that Vince McMahon personally ordered a controversial segment involving Stephanie McMahon just hours before a WWE show, with McMahon approaching him around 6 p.m. to outline the scene where Bischoff would remove a mask and "force himself" on Stephanie. Bischoff said the segment wasn't in any scripts throughout the day and described it as "bizarre" and "weird" that Vince directed the scene involving his own daughter, standing close by and giving specific instructions on how to grab Stephanie during filming.
Jacob Fatu has reflected positively on his WWE WrestleMania 42 weekend experience, specifically highlighting his appearance on ESPN. Fatu spoke glowingly about facing Drew McIntyre at the event and the ESPN exposure he received during the weekend.
Eric Bischoff criticized WWE's "HLA" (Hot Lesbian Action) storyline from his time as RAW General Manager, calling it "exploitative" and uncomfortable during a conversation with Inside The Ropes. Bischoff said the angle felt like "low-end entertainment" and compared it to "cheap heat" that required no creativity or talent, describing it as a shortcut designed to grab attention without strong storytelling. He admitted he was uncomfortable performing the segments at the time, viewing them as a creative low point rather than meaningful entertainment.
AJ Styles has suggested that WWE should move the Hall of Fame ceremony to every two years to make it more special. However, Styles questioned whether this change would be feasible due to the financial aspects of the ceremony.
Kevin Nash has accused WWE of "elder abuse" after claiming the company left him without proper food during WrestleMania weekend due to a last-minute schedule change. Speaking on his "Kliq This" podcast, Nash said WWE moved up his appearance time by 45 minutes despite his request to maintain the original schedule so he could eat, as he requires food every 3-4 hours. The 66-year-old Hall of Famer criticized WWE for treating talent "like prize cattle" and said the experience affected him physically, calling the situation elder abuse given his age.
WWE Hall of Famer AJ Styles believes his most recent match with Shinsuke Nakamura made up for their match at WWE WrestleMania 34. Styles thinks the recent match salvaged his feud with Nakamura.