Author: Thomas Lowson

The Rock wasn\’t a part of WWE WrestleMania 41 despite many expecting the Final Boss to be in Las Vegas for the two-night event. Now, more has come to light about the backstage response, not only to his absence, but to his silence about WWE\’s Showcase of the Immortals.

The Rock wasn\’t just missing from WrestleMania, but said very little about the event ahead of the show\’s first night. One source within WWE who spoke to Fightful Select was confused by the whole thing.

\”It was just weird. We all found it kind of odd that he didn’t say a word about the show.\”

The general sentiment wasn’t anger, but rather confusion over The Rock’s approach this year. One wrestler suggested it might be an “overcorrection” in response to how things were handled the previous year. WrestleMania 40 saw criticism for The Rock trying to take the World title opportunity from Cody Rhodes, though the wrestler emphasized that the context this time was entirely different.

Despite online speculation about potential backstage tension between The Rock and Triple H, multiple talents indicated that if any issues exist, they haven’t heard about it. While there have been rumors about a strained relationship between the two, the former on-screen rivals have shown no outward display of animosity outside of kayfabe.

The Rock recently fired back at criticism from Dave LaGreca, making clear that \”the business is a complete work.\” This comment too has left those within WWE confused, including one WWE performer who told Fightful:

\”Is he saying it’s all a work? Like, every time he talks to us backstage, he’s in character too? Was the McAfee interview a work even though he said it wasn’t?\”

The Rock\’s most recent appearance for WWE came at Elimination Chamber: Toronto. A source within WWE claiemd that The Rock was contacted for the show to help boost ticket sales, while a WWE talent comments that \”the card is at the mercy of Dwayne.\”

Questions remain about The Rock\’s on-screen future with WWE, as well as the nature of his relationship with new Undisputed WWE Champion John Cena. While The Rock was never officially confirmed for WrestleMania 41, many feel the show would have been more electrifying if the Final Boss had appeared.

Brie Bella hasn\’t competed in a WWE ring for over three years, and the WWE Hall of Famer doesn\’t anticipate a return in the near future. During an episode of the Nikki and Brie Show, Nikki revealed that her sister is \”still waiting for a call.\” Brie clarified that WWE hasn\’t contacted her and expressed skepticism about future opportunities.

\”WWE, call me, I\’ll join creative. They haven\’t called… Not going to hold my breath, let me tell you.\”

Unlike her sister, Nikki Bella has made several WWE appearances this year, including entering as #30 in the 2025 Women\’s Royal Rumble match. Since then, Nikki has also teased Evolution 2, though Brie\’s current stance raises questions about her potential involvement in the all-women\’s event. While Brie had hinted at a WWE return earlier this year, her recent comments reflect a markedly different perspective from the former Divas Champion.

Brie is married to AEW star Bryan Danielson and was seen supporting him from the audience at All In: London 2024, where he captured the AEW World Championship. Whether Brie\’s connection to AEW impacts her WWE status remains unclear, but for now, the WWE Hall of Famer doesn\’t envision herself returning to a WWE ring anytime soon.

Randy Orton possesses one of wrestling\’s most impressive physiques, yet the Legend Killer believes he can\’t measure up to Bron Breakker. During a behind-the-scenes glimpse at WrestleMania 41, Breakker expressed nothing but admiration for Orton\’s sculpted form.

\”Look at him [points at Orton.] 300-305lbs. Just, monster.\”

While Breakker views Orton as a \”monster\” physically, the Viper maintains a different perspective. When comparing their physiques, Orton explained that Breakker is built to be \”functional,\” whereas his own impressive physique merely creates an \”illusion\” of toughness.

Fans frequently draw comparisons between Breakker and Orton given that both are sons of WWE Hall of Famers. At WrestleMania 41, Breakker\’s tenure as Intercontinental Champion (a title Orton previously held) ended when Dominik Mysterio claimed the belt. Orton experienced better fortune inside Allegiant Stadium, securing a decisive victory over TNA World Champion Joe Hendry in a non-title contest.

With Orton and Breakker competing on separate brands, it remains uncertain when—or if—their impressive physiques will clash in the ring. Should such a confrontation materialize, Randy Orton would undoubtedly need to employ every strategic advantage against a competitor whose physique is as functional as Bron Breakker\’s.

For over a decade, Ashley Fliehr has established herself as Charlotte Flair, undeniably one of WWE\’s most iconic female superstars of all time. In a recent interview with The Ringer Wrestling Show, Flair revealed her surprising initial reaction to the ring name she was given.

\”I think they named me Charlotte as like a joke.\”

Charlotte\’s name clearly references her legendary father Ric, who was billed throughout his career as being from Charlotte, North Carolina. Before accepting this moniker, Flair had actually proposed her own idea: \’Elizabeth Reid,\’ a name that Ashley Fliehr had carefully considered.

\”I love Miss Elizabeth, I pitched Elizabeth. Elizabeth Reid was one because of my brother. He was still alive then, but pretty much kind of…\”

Reid Fliehr passed away in 2013, and Charlotte has since dedicated her remarkable career to her late brother. The \’Elizabeth\’ component carries additional significance beyond honoring the first lady of Wrestling, as it is also Ashley\’s middle name.

In the end, WWE selected \’Charlotte,\’ an \”easy\” decision according to Flair herself. Despite not being her preferred choice initially, Ashley Fliehr has transformed Charlotte Flair into a globally recognized name in professional wrestling.

Dominik Mysterio may be a heel in WWE, but the new Intercontinental Champion received surprisingly positive reactions at WrestleMania 41. In an interview with Shakiel Mahjouri of CBS Sports, Mysterio discussed the unexpected crowd response he experienced inside Allegiant Stadium.

\”I\’m a team player and they [WWE higher-ups] know that. At the end of the day, whatever is best for business is going to happen.\”

Evidently, what fans determined was best for business was to embrace Mysterio and celebrate his championship victory in Las Vegas. On the post-WrestleMania Raw, Mysterio again received a thunderous ovation during his first title defense. Not even his victory over the beloved Penta and the return of villainous JD McDonagh could prevent fans from cheering the \’Dirty\’ new champion.

Heels transforming into fan favorites is a well-established pattern in wrestling history. Ironically, it was Eddie Guerrero\’s heel work alongside Chyna, and later his lying, cheating, and stealing persona, that made fans grow to love Latino Heat. Now, decades later, Dominik is following the path of the man who played an instrumental role in his WWE introduction.

Whether this fan support continues throughout the post-WrestleMania period remains to be seen, but it\’s undeniable that audiences are thoroughly enjoying what Dirty Dom delivers on screen.

Karrion Kross returned to WWE in 2022, but fans have noticed a serious shift in momentum for the former NXT Champion over the past year or so. On X, Kross shared a video of his time in Las Vegas for WrestleMania 41. After joking with a passerby that he\’s a stripper by the name of Roman Reigns, Kross spoke about how fans have grown more appreciative of him as of late.

\”People telling me how happy they were with the AJ [Styles] match. And the Bloodsport match. They liked the little bits and things we did on the SmackDown [Andre the Giant Memorial] Battle Royal.\”

Kross is immensely grateful that fans have rallied behind him over the past year, feeling it is the first time that his efforts on the main roster have truly been appreciated. While Kross saw plenty of success in WWE NXT, he\’s ready for fans to focus on the here and now.

\”I thought that, when I was coming out here, all I was going to hear about was \’I loved your run on NXT.\’ Because that\’s all I would run into for the last two and a half years.\”

Kross said its hard to hear from fans that their fondest memories of him came when he had the \”strap\” in 2021, seeing it as an indictment of the past four years. Whether more gold is in Kross\’ future, that remains to be seen, but the Raw Superstar is relishing fans appreciating his more recent efforts on WWE TV.

Bianca Belair is a bonafide star in WWE but like every wrestler, there was a time when the EST was a brand-new face in the wrestling world. On X, Belair shared footage of her first WWE tryout, and detailed how inexperienced she was at the time.

\”I had no idea how to take a bump, I didn’t even know what a “bump” was let alone what a “promo” was… I was so nervous you can hear the quiver in my voice.\”

What Belair did know was how to be herself, and credited Mark Henry for getting her the opportunity. Belair\’s rose-themed outfit came from a crossfit competiton she\’d competed in. The Raw Superstar openly revealed that at the time, she not only felt like she didn\’t belong, but feared she was taking a spot from a more deserving woman.

\”I always felt like I was stealing someone else’s dream so I threw myself whole heartedly into this. I dealt with imposter syndrome for A LONG time. I always felt like I had something to prove.\”

Now, Belair has more than proven herself in the wrestling world and is one of the most popular women in WWE in recent years. Ending with a passionate plea for fans to \”Dream big, do thing you didn\’t even think were meant for you.\” Today, Belair\’s battles with imposter syndrome are a thing of the past though she\’ll never forget her early fears when joining the wrestling world.

\’Macho Man\’ Randy Savage captivated fans for decades, but nobody knew him quite like his brother Lanny Poffo. In footage shared by Dark Side of the Ring: Unheard, Poffo, also known to wrestling enthusiasts as The Genius, revealed a personal side of the Macho Man that only he experienced.

\”Growing up with Randy it was like he was my second father. He was in charge of discipline, he could lecture… But he did it in such a way that I felt good about myself.\”

Randy served as a second father to Lanny because their biological father, Angelo Poffo, was a professional wrestler who frequently traveled throughout the United States. Years later, Lanny would apply what he\’d learned from both his father figures when he and his ex-wife welcomed their daughter Meghan into the world.

Like many wrestlers\’ sons, Randy and Lanny developed a complicated relationship with Angelo. In the recording, Poffo recounted the day he and Randy buried their father in March 2010, and a poignant conversation the brothers shared about who had been the better son.

\”Randy got drunk after the funeral and said \’You were a better son than I was.\’ I said \’I don\’t think I was.\’ He said \’Oh yeah you were.\’ I said \’Look what you did for our dad. You gave him that high-end hospital toilet seat and that bed that go, you know all that with your credit card, you did all that. And when they were younger you sent them on first-class trips to Israel, Japan, Hawaii, every place in Europe until they begged you \’Please stop sending us places, we\’re tired.\’ And I said \’You were a better son than I was.\’\”

\”[Randy said] \’No, you\’re a better son because no matter how hard I tried I couldn\’t get that battle royal for dad.\’\”

The battle royal in question was the 1987 WWE Legends Battle Royal, an event that Angelo Poffo was not selected to participate in. Despite all his financial and career achievements—successes Randy ensured his father witnessed—Savage considered his inability to secure his father\’s place in the match a profound personal failure.

Lanny Poffo passed away in February 2023, nearly eight years after inducting his late brother into the WWE Hall of Fame. Today, both brothers are fondly remembered by wrestling enthusiasts for their distinctive, though markedly different, personas.

\’Macho Man\’ Randy Savage is a true icon of wrestling with his instantly recognizable voice and personality being a favorite among fans to this day. In new footage shared by Dark Side of the Ring: Unheard, Savage\’s brother Lanny Poffo revealed fascinating insights into how the legendary character fans know and love came to be.

\”He didn\’t always have that voice, I think it came from marijuana and yelling and kind of got worse as time went on.\”

Though now remembered as one of wrestling\’s greatest talkers, Savage initially struggled with interviews. According to Lanny, Randy\’s anxiety was so severe he would sometimes experience panic attacks before speaking on camera.

\”He had some type of anxiety attacks that he couldn\’t catch his breath and he felt insecure and he couldn\’t think of anything. The greatest interview in the world was not always that way. He came to me with his hat in his hand and said that I was a great interview, could I help him.\”

The solution came from an unlikely source – a television commercial featuring wrestler Pampero Firpo. Lanny suggested Randy study Firpo\’s unique Armenian-Argentine accent, which became the foundation for the Macho Man\’s distinctive delivery.

\”I said \’Why don\’t you read that line to me?\’ And he says \’You are watching the number one station in Hawaii.\’ I said \’I think that\’s it\’ and he spent the next three months in the bathroom mirror practicing.\”

Randy\’s dedication to mastering this new persona was remarkable. \”He went from the worst to the first, from the zero to the hero,\” Lanny explained. This transformation didn\’t happen overnight – it took months of practice, with Randy spending hours perfecting his delivery in front of the mirror.

The results would change wrestling history. Savage\’s iconic \”Ohhh yeah!\” catchphrase and intense interview style became his trademark, inspiring countless impressions and remaining embedded in pop culture decades after his untimely passing in 2011.

The 2025 WWE Hall of Fame ceremony celebrated wrestling\’s all-time greats, but eagle-eyed fans may have spotted Booker T in the crowd, seemingly asleep. On his Hall of Fame podcast, Booker firmly rejected claims that he dozed off during Michelle McCool\’s speech.

\”You could tell my head was straight up. It wasn\’t tilted to the left or right. It was down because it was a somber moment.\”

Booker T\’s Denial

Booker recently claimed that he was praying at the Hall of Fame, seeing the humor in the viral photo. Not only did he vehemently deny nodding off, but he also pointed out that certain WWE Superstars were the ones who couldn\’t keep their eyes open.

\”Logan Paul was asleep. I\’m gonna tell you that right now, Logan was out. But there were several people that were asleep.\”

On the post-WrestleMania edition of WWE NXT, when Vic Joseph teased him about allegedly falling asleep, Booker maintained he was praying. Whether it was a prayer or a brief nap, the Hall of Famer will surely remember to keep his eyes open at next year\’s ceremony.

WWE\’s first-ever Roast of WrestleMania promised to be hilarious and outrageous, but it appears some of the material at the event went too far for some viewers. Nia Jax and Paul Heyman, in particular, have drawn the ire of fans.

Nia Jax

Jax\’s appearance at the roast included her making light of allegations that she has injured women in the ring. According to one Reddit user who was in attendance, Jax \”in no uncertain terms literally told Charlotte to go f*** herself.\”

Jax also joked that Charlotte would be better off at home worrying about her three divorces rather than being in attendance.

These comments have led to a backlash against her online, as fans believe what she said crossed a line. Charlotte\’s divorce from Andrade was only recently made public knowledge, resulting in the \’Queen\’ claiming she had \”failed again.\”

Paul Heyman

Paul Heyman, another individual known for speaking his mind, also has fans complaining online. In footage circulating online, Heyman can be heard making scathing jokes about Puerto Rico, echoing comments from roast host Tony Hinchcliffe.

Heyman also made \’coming out of the closet\’ jokes that have irked fans, as well as jokes about minors being forcibly married.

Heyman also took aim at Freddie Prinze Jr., calling the actor/former WWE writer a \”f***ing nobody.\” Heyman mocked Prinze\’s desire to form his own wrestling promotion, claiming Prinze knows nothing about the wrestling business.

This year\’s roast was the first of its kind, but some are now wondering if the event will return in 2026 for WrestleMania 42.

At WrestleMania 41, Lyra Valkyria became WWE\’s latest double champion as she and Becky Lynch won the WWE Women\’s Tag Team Titles. Their reign would be short-lived though, as the duo lost the gold back to Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguezz on the Raw after WrestleMania.

Things went from bad to worse on Raw as the Women\’s Intercontinental Champion was assaulted by Lynch after their defeat. Taking to X, Valkyria shared her thoughts on her brief double-champion status. Valkyria also said that she lost \”a LOT\” in that pinfall, a nod to Lynch\’s betrayal.

The attack on Raw has left fans excited at the concept of a Valkyria-Lynch feud, one that could see Becky become the second-ever Women\’s Intercontinental Champion. The pair have a history as adversaries as it was Valkyria who ended Lynch\’s surprising reign as NXT Women\’s Champion in 2023.

Now, the shoe is on the other foot with Lyra being the champion set to defend the gold. Just one year after being called-up to WWE\’s main roster, the Valkyrie has established herself as a top name in the women\’s division.

WrestleMania 41 is in the history books, and will go down as one of the more controversial WrestleManias in recent years. Fans have taken issue with some of the show\’s booking and the ever-increasing prices of tickets also proved to be a problem for many.

Randy Orton didn\’t have to pay to attend WrestleMania but was stunned when he learned what some fans had paid to attend the show. When learning of the costs, Orton shared his view.

\”It\’s embarrassing to be honest, so much money for a seat.\”

WrestleMania 41 tickets started at $450 though that number doesn\’t take into account Ticketmaster\’s hybrid pricing. For context, floor seats at WrestleMania 19 in 2003 cost $400, with the cheapest tickets for the Seattle, Washington event costing just $15.

WrestleMania 41 was a serious money-earner for WWE, though many believe that WWE is making their biggest show unaffordable for the average fan. It remains to be seen if WWE and TKO change course after the response this year as even one of the company\’s top stars believes things have gone too far.