Posted By: Ben Kerin on May 17, 2026 
WWE has confirmed two new additions for this Monday’s episode of Raw following an announcement made by Adam Pearce on social media Sunday morning.
If you reference any quotes from this piece, please attribute them to the original source, and kindly credit WrestlingNewsSource.com (h/t) for the transcription.
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Paul Wight is staying with AEW after reportedly signing a new contract extension with the company.
Fightful Select reports that Wight’s previous deal was due to expire earlier in 2026, but a new agreement has now been reached. While the exact length of the extension has not been disclosed, Wight is said to remain firmly under AEW contract.
Since joining AEW in 2021, Wight has taken on several roles behind the scenes and on screen. Alongside commentary work for AEW Dark: Elevation, he has become a mentor for younger talent and assisted with the company’s community outreach efforts. His last in ring appearance for AEW came in November 2023, while he has also focused heavily on a long-term weight loss transformation.
Now 54 years old, Wight has openly discussed his future in wrestling throughout 2026. During an appearance on TFI Friday Unplugged with Chris Evans on Virgin Radio UK earlier this month, he made it clear he still plans to wrestle again.
“I don’t have to do much at this stage of the game. I’m not competing for championships. I’m not pulling the wagon and working every week. I have a great opportunity with All Elite Wrestling, which has been very important to me, to help mentor some of the younger talent when they want it, tell them stories that might help them avoid some of life’s troubles, and do commentary where I can help explain what they’re doing while also helping develop their characters.”
Wight has also spoken honestly about the physical toll his career has taken. He revealed he has undergone at least one surgery every year since 2018 or 2019. Speaking on the Insight podcast in April, he explained that his focus now is simply enjoying the time he has left in wrestling.
“I’m feeling real good. I think my main thing now is, I understand there’s a short window left. And listen, I’m not in any way, shape or form delusional that I’m going to go out and compete for championships and pull the wagon. Those days are done. There’s nothing I can do that’s going to make my career any bigger or better. All I can do is enjoy some of the last years that I have under contract with AEW, and hopefully have some fun with some of the younger talent, and teach them some of the lessons that have been passed down to me.”
He also dismissed the modern idea that every veteran wrestler needs a carefully scripted ending to their career.
“I know there’s a big current thing where everybody wants to write their story, which I’m so sick of hearing. Not everybody gets a story. I may not get a story. I may not get a retirement match. I’m very real about this. I have to do certain things and hold myself accountable to get to a position so that I can compete for fun. For no other reason other than I want to have fun in the ring.”
Wight originally signed with AEW in February 2021 after ending his 22 year run with WWE.
Over the past decade, women’s wrestling has continued to reach new heights, with female talent not only being trusted to main event major shows and deliver in longer matches, but also compete in many of the same hardcore stipulations that was dominated by the men’s division. Just in the last five years, women have proven to excel in stipulations like Hell In A Cell or Street Fights, but not all female performers are pleased with the current state of women’s wrestling, including former WWE star Scarlett.
In a recent interview with D-Von Dudley, Scarlett claimed that her gimmick struggled to align with WWE’s vision for women’s wrestling, explaining that she wanted her character to represent a previous era in the business.
“I think they were pushing the Women’s Revolution in the way they were, and my character was the exact opposite of that. It was a throwback. It was a parody. Bring sexy back to wrestling cause all the girls were trying to be serious like the guys. I’m like, ‘No, like let’s just be a hot chick. Like, bring back Bra & Panties matches.’ And no one was doing that at the time. No one had their asses out … and it p****d a lot of people off, including women in the business.”
Scarlett also shared that she pitched the idea to bring back Bra & Panties matches when she was on the “WWE NXT” roster, but quickly realized that the company was trying to steer away from the older generation of women’s wrestling as much as possible.
“I won’t say who, but some of the producers, every single time, like before going out there, they’d be like, ‘Can you just cover up the cleavage? Can you just pull that down?’ I’m like, ‘Okay, this is clearly not what we’re going for right now.'”
If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit “D-Von Dudley” with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.
As has happened numerous times before, WWE’s NXT brand is undergoing a shift as a wave of stars is called up to the main roster. Some weekly viewers, including WWE Hall of Famer Bully Ray, are feeling refreshed by the change. While discussing the company’s younger talent finding success on “Busted Open Radio,” Bully emphasized the fact that many of the biggest stars are coming through the developmental system.
“This is exactly what NXT was built for, from day one,” Bully said. “In Vince [McMahon’s] mind, NXT was never supposed to be a third brand that competed. In [Paul Levesque’s] mind, he was trying to make this something different and unique. NXT is now kind of like the best of both worlds. … NXT is my favorite pro wrestling television product.”
Bully immediately admitted that “AEW Dynamite” is typically a more fun show, but he views “WWE NXT” as a more well-rounded presentation. There’s the added fact that the show’s main purpose is to prepare talent for the next level, and Bully thinks that’s been an undeniable success over the last year or so. He went on to talk about some of the most notable performers to emerge from the brand in recent months.
“I’m very interested to see Sol Ruca, Trick [Williams], obviously Oba [Femi],” Bully continued. “Oba – the sky’s the limit.”
Returning to the topic of Ruca, Bully noted that she was one wrestler who he didn’t exactly connect with emotionally during her time in NXT. However, since she’s been appearing on the main roster, Bully has started to notice a shift and believes she could be coming into her own.
If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit “Busted Open Radio” and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.
Adam Copeland has discussed the passing of WWE Hall of Famer and his former tag team partner, Hulk Hogan, recalling how “The Hulkster” inspired him to be a wrestler.
Copeland, in an interview with “The Sportsocracy,” credited Hogan for his love of wrestling and for inspiring him to become a wrestler.
“It was very interesting, over the years, to become friends with a guy that was the reason you did the thing that you do for the rest of your life. He was ‘the guy’ for me. I saw him, and it sparked something inside a kid in Southern Ontario without any inroads into pro wrestling whatsoever. He was the impetus that got me going, you know, and I know it sounds crazy, ’cause you think oh, okay, well, it’s just wrestling.’ But, seriously, like seeing him lit something up in me that changed the entire trajectory of my life,” he said.
Copeland said that he is in a “strange time” at his age right now because a lot of the people he idolized are passing on. The AEW star said that Hogan’s passing was a “gut punch” for him, but he is grateful for the time he spent with him and the friendship the two shared.
“I’ll never not appreciate what he unwittingly gave me. And then to be able to tell him that, you know, and become a peer, become tag team champions with him. I mean, man, I just — I had a lot of really, really great times with him and a lot of great experiences. And he always treated me great, and we had a lot of fun together.”
The multi-time WWE tag team champion had one reign with the tag team titles in WWE with Hogan back in 2002, with the short-lived tag team holding the title for just 20 days.
