While John Cena’s announcement of the new WWE competition, the John Cena Classic, definitely stole headlines at Backlash, it did so while leaving many fans confused. Among the most confusing elements was the fact that the competition will see wrestlers compete in matches where the winner may not advance, as fans will instead be given the option to vote on whether the winner or loser deserves to move on. As such, it has led to Cena’s announcement falling flatter than expected in some circles.

One person it didn’t fall flat for, however, is Bully Ray, even if he too is skeptical of the concept. Discussing Cena’s Backlash segment on Monday’s “Busted Open Radio,” Bully admitted that the idea of wrestlers being eliminated from a tournament/competition despite winning a match made no sense to him. However, because of how Cena delivered the announcement at Backlash, the two-time Hall of Famer believes that the segment was a success, even with the issues Cena’s explanation had.

“It’s the tone and the volume and the passion and the enthusiasm of which he said it,” Bully said. “And by the end of the segment, the people were excited, and the people were cheering. So as far as the job of the night…those people were excited at the end of the promo. 

“It was a nice crescendo, a nice build up, the way he played back to Sol, to Oba, to Trick, and brought that forward with the opportunities this could create for younger talent, it made sense. John Cena connected the dots in the promo and that’s why you got the reaction that you got. And that’s why, as far as this announcement is concerned, it was a win. It was successful. What happens beyond here, I have no idea.”

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

At the age of 31, Liv Morgan has 10 years of WWE experience under her belt, and it doesn’t seem like the Women’s World Champion is thinking of putting any other personal goals ahead of professional wrestling.

During a recent interview with “Gino Salomone,” Morgan outlined her dedication to continuing her wrestling career and staying committed to being a WWE star, but did reveal that she is interested in acting when her time inside the squared circle comes to an end.

“I’m wrestling until the wheels fall off … I’m a lifer, but yes, I’m very interested in acting, and WWE has been so gracious and kind of letting me explore that and spread my wings a little bit. We have a movie coming out this fall, ‘Bad Lieutenant,’ so keep an eye out for it.”

Last year, Morgan have the opportunity to star in her second-ever film when she travelled to Japan for “Bad Lieutenant: Tokyo,” which is an action thriller movie directed by Takashi Miike that is set to release this upcoming September. The movie is the third installment of the “Bad Lieutenant” series, with Morgan set to portray the missing daughter of a politician, who the corrupt lieutenant, played by Shun Oguri, is tasked to find.

In addition to “Bad Lieutenant: Tokyo,” Morgan appeared alongside Uma Thurman, Samuel L. Jackson and Maya Hawke in the Nicol Paone’s “The Kill Room” in 2023. So far, “The Kill Room” is the only other acting project that Morgan has worked on.

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

Even though WrestleMania 42 still wound up being a major success financially, many have admitted that the feeling heading into WWE’s marquee event felt a bit off this year. Some have attributed that feeling to the overabundance of celebrities featured between WrestleMania’s two nights, with some like IShowSpeed actually participating in matches, while others like rapper Lil Yachty and ESPN personality Pat McAfee played key roles the rivalries between Sami Zay and Trick Williams and Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton.

Having gotten to experience the celebrity involvement first hand, Zayn seemed to be the perfect person to ask about the change in WrestleMania’s vibe, and whether celebrity involvement caused it, when he sat down for an interview with “WittyWhittier.” The former United States Champion did admit that things felt a bit off compared to past WrestleMania’s, and seemed to hint that the later addition of McAfee to the Orton-Rhodes storyline may have played the biggest part. 

However, Zayn did ultimately point out that this year’s WrestleMania worked out better for him, as he was able to make it onto the card instead of missing out, like he did at WrestleMania 41.

“It felt a little less sure footed, you know what I mean?” Zayn said. “And then, the vibe around WrestleMania was a little strange this year, with the Pat McAfee thing being added at the last minute. I don’t know, there was just so many things that felt a little strange about this year’s WrestleMania. But ultimately, like you said, I didn’t get to do Mania last year in Vegas. I missed out on it, so I kind of felt like ‘Alright, here we go.'”

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

Randy Orton hasn’t been seen on WWE programming since WrestleMania 42 when he failed to defeat Cody Rhodes for the Undisputed WWE Championship in the main event of night one, but it seems like his return could be on the horizon with one of his future appearances being revealed.

Two days before Clash in Italy at the end of the month, “WWE SmackDown” is coming to Olimpic Arena in Barcelona, Spain on Friday, May 29, and “The Viper” is listed as one of the stars who is advertised for the event. With there being over two weeks before Clash in Italy, Orton’s return to WWE television could happen as early as this Friday’s “SmackDown” if there’s plans for him to be involved in a feud heading into the event, otherwise, the episode in Barcelona is the only show he’s advertised for. 

At the end of WrestleMania 42 night one, Orton was seen delivering the Punt Kick to Rhodes after their title match, but it remains to be seen if he will immediately continue his feud with the champion as GUNTHER seems to be next in line to challenge “The American Nightmare.” Additionally, Orton had been aligned with Pat McAfee going into WrestleMania, but after the former NFL punter promised to leave wrestling forever if Rhodes retained the title, the “Apex Predator” will return without the sports analyst by his side.

Along with Orton, Rhodes, Rhea Ripley, Drew McIntyre, Tiffany Stratton, GUNTHER, Jade Cargill, and Trick Williams are also advertised for the May 29 episode of “SmackDown” in Barcelona.