On the back of criticism surrounding celebrity appearances at WrestleMania 42, AEW’s Swerve Strickland has shared his opinion on the matter and when such appearances make sense.

This year’s WrestleMania major storyline featuring Randy Orton and Cody Rhodes was overshadowed by the additions of Jelly Roll and Pat McAfee, which was not welcomed by the WWE fanbase. Strickland explained on the “REAL 92.3 LA” podcast that fan reaction should be the basis for bringing celebrities into pro wrestling.

“There’s a time and a place for it, for sure. Once again, it always comes back to the connection to the fanbase. Like, how much have you connected with the fanbase to warrant your level of involvement in said space in wrestling,” he said. “That’s all it’s going to tell you. You always got to listen to the fanbase. Like, they’re going to tell you like what they’re receiving. Well, they’re like children. They cry when they don’t, you know, getting something they don’t want or they’re going to cry when they want something, and then you feed it to them. They’re going to be like, ‘Oh, that satisfied me.’ It’s the same way. They’re going to tell you when something’s like, they don’t like it or they’re not digesting it well.”

Reports have alleged that TKO, WWE’s parent company, had a say in the storylines heading into WrestleMania 42, one of which was the inclusion of Pat McAfee and Jelly Roll. Reports also suggest that McAfee chose to opt out of the storyline, which was eventually set to see him team with Orton against Rhodes and Jelly Roll at Backlash. 

Some in WWE have openly stated that the McAfee-Jelly Roll pairing didn’t work, with WWE commentator Corey Graves conceding that the timing of their involvement was why fans didn’t buy into it.

AEW’s Big Bill, formerly Big Cass, could be nearing the end of his contract with the promotion. 

The former WWE star, who has been part of AEW since 2022, may have either already seen his contract expire or is set to become a free agent soon, according to “Fightful Select.” The report claims that sources in AEW whom they spoke with in April had stated that Bill’s contract with the promotion was to expire in May or at the beginning of June. The outlet stated that Bill hasn’t appeared on AEW or ROH since they heard the rumors. 

Bill’s last match in AEW or ROH came at the start of April, when he and tag team partner Bryan Keith faced Vin Parker and Nick Halen. The one-time AEW World Tag Team Champion, in fact, hasn’t wrestled in AEW since February and has made sporadic appearances for both promotions in 2026. 

Bill, according to reports, isn’t the only AEW star whose deal is set to expire soon, as the likes of Anna Jay and Lance Archer are also reportedly nearing the end of their contracts in the coming months. While Bill’s tenure in the promotion may be nearing its end, a tag team he and Keith feuded with last year, The Hurt Syndicate, recently extended its contracts with Tony Khan’s promotion.

Ever since “WWE Unreal” debuted on Netflix in 2025, the reality show has largely drawn criticism from those involved in the industry, with performers like CM Punk and Seth Rollins admitting that they aren’t exactly fans of “Unreal.” However, that doesn’t apply to everyone involved, as Mike “The Miz” Mizanin explained on “NotSam Wrestling” that he enjoys the reality series.

“A lot of people don’t like ‘Unreal’ – a lot of the old-timers don’t. I love it,” Miz said. “It allows people to appreciate exactly how hard we work to make sure it looks seamless and easy, but you guys don’t understand what is actually going on behind the scenes.”

The Miz went on to state that even “Unreal” can only do so much to inform the audience about what it’s like to work in WWE. Although the show isn’t able to reveal everything, The Miz is under the impression that “Unreal” has given fans a “new appreciation” for what professional wrestlers do.

“Not just the job of a WWE Superstar, but our production as a whole,” Miz continued. That includes Paul “Triple H” Levesque. “Triple H has to think five steps ahead of everyone, and no one gives him the credit for that. No one understands how hard that seat is.”

Going on to describe the difficulties of Levesque’s position as booker and WWE Chief Content Officer, The Miz pointed out that creative decisions always have wide-reaching ramifications that aren’t always apparent on the surface. He admitted that he sometimes looks at WWE’s booking from a short-sighted perspective before being filled in and understanding the larger picture.

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit “NotSam Wrestling” and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.