
Backstage News On Stephen A. Smith's Potential On-Screen Involvement In WWE
ESPN's Stephen A. Smith has claimed that he's had talks with WWE President Nick Khan about becoming a manager. It appears the idea may come to fruition soon.
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ESPN's Stephen A. Smith has claimed that he's had talks with WWE President Nick Khan about becoming a manager. It appears the idea may come to fruition soon.

Lacey Evans has hinted at a potential in-ring return after nearly three years away from wrestling since her WWE departure in 2023. Evans posted on Instagram that a conversation with her daughter, who expressed wanting to see her fight, played a major role in sparking the idea of stepping back into the ring. There is no confirmation yet on where or when this potential return could happen.

Nikki Bella has provided an update on her current injury and potential return timeline to WWE. She also discussed her future goals within the company.

A backstage report indicates that while the possibility remains open, former WWE star Aleister Black is not expected to return to AEW in the near future.

Mark Henry stated on the Humble Roses podcast that he would be willing to officially pass down his World's Strongest Slam finishing move to Oba Femi, citing Femi's strength and athleticism as the reasons for his choice. Henry explained that while other wrestlers like Bianca Belair and Otis have performed the move as tribute, he has never given anyone his official blessing or taught them the proper execution until now. Henry indicated he would be willing to personally show Femi "the nuances of how to really make this powerful," which would make Femi the first wrestler to receive Henry's official endorsement to use the iconic finisher.

Chelsea Green joked about locker room nudity during WrestleMania Media Day when asked about Cody Rhodes' previous comments noting that wrestling locker rooms used to feature more nudity in the past. Green responded humorously by referencing her own career history, saying "Yes, it used to be more naked, but I wouldn't know. I've got fired so many times. Like what do you mean? I've never been in the locker room for longer than a couple years."

Chelsea Green stated that women should have been featured first in WWE's WrestleMania promotional campaigns during an interview on WrestleMania Media Day for the Unlikely podcast. Green agreed with host Adrian Hernandez's observation that early WrestleMania commercials spotlighted male stars like CM Punk, Cody Rhodes, and Brock Lesnar before later releasing promotional material centered on women like Rhea Ripley. Green said "I think if we're doing something like that, then put the girls first" and argued there would be "no love lost" if women's commercials aired first since fans would love it and the men's content would air later anyway.

Booker T believes the current WWE NXT Champion needs to change their name and still needs to prove themselves to him. Despite the champion's recent success, Booker T thinks they need to show him something more.

Las Vegas casinos deploy military-style staffing strategies for WrestleMania Week, typically doubling or tripling security headcount and bringing in additional staff across all departments to handle the massive influx of wrestling fans. During WrestleMania 42 weekend, multiple WWE Superstars reportedly felt that hotel and venue security was overwhelmed by fan traffic despite these preparations. The casino floors transform during the event with expanded high-limit rooms, upgraded sportsbooks with additional screens and seating, and extended operating hours for table games to accommodate the surge in visitors.

A GoFundMe campaign to bring wrestling fan Marc Izard home to the United Kingdom after his passing during WrestleMania weekend in Las Vegas has raised approximately $19,000 toward its $30,000 goal. Notable wrestling figures including Chris Jericho, NJPW's Gabe Kidd, and WWE's Natalya have made donations to help cover transportation and funeral costs. Any remaining funds will be donated to charities Izard supported, including Diabetes UK, Addenbrooke's Hospital Charitable Trust, and the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

WWE's Stephanie Vaquer will be out of action for some time due to injury, according to a backstage update. The former Women's World Champion's current injury status indicates an extended absence from WWE programming.

According to a new report, WWE has no creative plans for AJ Lee in the foreseeable future. AJ Lee's WWE creative is reportedly "effectively done" following WrestleMania 42.