It has hardly been kept secret that Brooke Hogan was estranged from her father, WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan, at the time of his passing last year. And while Brooke has since paid tribute to her late father and bemoaned their estrangement, she has also maintained a distance from the rest of the Hogan family, including not appearing at WWE’s tribute to Hogan last year, nor choosing to participate in Netflix’s documentary about Hogan, which was released just weeks ago.

Appearing on the “Bubba the Love Sponge Show” with her father’s old friend/nemesis Bubba the Love Sponge, Brooke spoke about the documentary, admitting she originally didn’t plan to watch or comment on it before doing so to talk about it with Bubba. Brooke felt the documentary worked from a wrestling perspective, but left out other critical info regarding her father’s life.

“I mean, for a wrestling fan, it captured every single moment of his career, from beginning to end,” Brooke said. “It was definitely a showcase piece for sure. But it was, in my opinion, it was missing about 98% of critical real life…factual [information]. I felt like I was living in an alternate universe. 

“I was like ‘I didn’t realize this was how it went down.’ I was just shocked that they acted like everything that was in there was news to everybody. Like, we knew about steroids and we knew about drugs, but there were many key things that tie in. There’s many causes for the reaction.”

Bubba pointed out that he felt Brooke, and Hogan’s father Pete, were the two people buried the most in the documentary, something Brooke agreed with. In fact, Brooke felt that the burial was almost literal in that the documentary seemed to go out of its way to hardly mention her.

“Literally buried,” Brooke said. “Like ‘Oh, she doesn’t exist.'”

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

Charlotte Flair believes Kiana James has the tools to become a top name in WWE, pointing to her growth and presence as reasons she stands out on the roster.

Speaking on ESPN First Take with Stephen A. Smith and Shae Cornette, Flair highlighted James as one of the talents she sees as a future main event player.

Charlotte Flair Kiana James Praise

Flair explained that she first connected with James at the WWE Performance Center while both were recovering from injuries, and she has been impressed with her development since returning.

“For me, definitely Kiana James. I met her at the PC when I was out with my knee injury and she had a knee injury as well. She was only on the roster for about a month before she got injured and she’s been back now for almost a year and I think she has the potential to be a main event player. She’s aggressive, she’s athletic, she’s powerful. She makes me want to step my game up and she’s very young and she’s soaking up every moment that she can. So look out for Kiana James. She’s going to be a big player.”

Cody Rhodes Also Earns Praise

Flair also spoke about Cody Rhodes when discussing performers who embody the same qualities she associates with her father, Ric Flair.

“But even though, yes, I think my dad is the goat the best. He talks the talk, walks the walk. But I have to say Cody Rhodes every, whether it’s Monday or Friday, I know he’s a Smackdown talent, goes out there and gives it his all. And you can feel it in his words. So my dad had a career of 50 years, but I think if there is a guy to talk the talk, walk the walk and and really live what he’s saying is Cody Rhodes.”

Ongoing SmackDown Storylines

Flair is currently involved in a storyline with Fatal Influence, following the group’s recent debut. She teamed with Alexa Bliss against the faction, which includes Jacy Jayne, Fallon Henley, and Lainey Reid.

During a recent SmackDown episode, Jayne defeated Flair after interference from her stablemates, leading to a post-match attack that was interrupted by Rhea Ripley.

Kiana James’ Current Role

James has been active both as a competitor and as an on-screen manager for Giulia. After being drafted to RAW in 2024, she suffered a foot injury that kept her sidelined. She returned roughly a year later and is now part of the SmackDown roster.

Flair’s comments add to the growing attention around James, positioning her as a talent to watch moving forward.

Charlotte Flair Praises Kiana James

AdvertisementAdvertisement

Kevin Nash has shared his thoughts on WWE’s recent roster cuts, making it clear there is one decision he strongly disagrees with.

Speaking on his Kliq This podcast, Nash singled out the release of the Motor City Machine Guns — Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin — as a move he would not have made.

Kevin Nash Motor City Machine Guns Reaction

Nash was direct when asked about the April 24 cuts.

“I would not have gotten rid of the Motor City Machine Guns, that’s for damn sure,” Nash said.

His stance reflects both professional respect and personal history with the team.

Longstanding Connection to Shelley and Sabin

Nash has a long relationship with Shelley dating back to their time in TNA, where they worked together as part of Paparazzi Productions. He also mentored Shelley behind the scenes during that period, and all three share ties to Michigan.

Shelley and Sabin had a nearly two-year run in WWE, capturing the SmackDown Tag Team Championship once. With their departure, they are expected to draw interest from other promotions once eligible to sign.

Reaction to Broader WWE Cuts

Nash said the overall wave of releases did not surprise him once he reviewed WWE’s financial growth and executive compensation under TKO Group Holdings.

He specifically referenced Nick Khan while discussing the company’s business performance.

“Not after like two weeks prior when I see what the CEOs are making. What Nick’s getting paid. I mean, Nick took half of the WrestleMania net. But I’m busting his balls because we sat here and went over the numbers and the year before was 1.4 billion. The next year, you’re 1.7 billion. So that’s 300 million,” Nash said.

Khan reportedly earned $24.3 million in total compensation for 2025, including salary, stock awards, and bonuses.

Mixed View on WWE’s Current Direction

While Nash acknowledged WWE’s financial success, he has also been critical of the company’s current structure. During WrestleMania 42 weekend, he described the overall atmosphere as lacking something compared to previous eras.

His comments on the Motor City Machine Guns highlight that perspective, pointing to a belief that certain talent decisions do not always align with long-term value.

AdvertisementAdvertisement

AJ Styles believes WWE’s reduced live event schedule is making it harder for wrestlers to develop the chemistry needed to call matches in the ring, and he expects the issue to grow over time.

Speaking on the Phenomenally Retro Podcast, the recently retired Hall of Famer explained why the traditional approach of improvising matches has become more difficult in today’s environment.

AJ Styles on WWE Live Events Decline

Styles pointed out that previous generations benefited from constant repetition, working with the same opponents night after night.

“Here’s what’s hard with that now. I think a lot of the older guys who said, ‘Nah, we’ll call it in the ring, kid,’ well, a lot of times they had the ability to wrestle so many different guys and they were able to call it in the ring because they weren’t sidelined by time limits or whatever. You have to hit your times or they’ve wrestled the guy so many times before. Of course you can call it. I could call a lot of things. The more I wrestle one guy, ‘Hey man, we’ll just do what we did here,’ and boom, and it’s that quick. But we’re not having live events like that anymore so guys aren’t getting any reps with each other,” Styles said.

Without those repeated matches, performers have fewer chances to build familiarity and timing.

Fewer Reps, More Difficulty

Styles said that lack of experience together will eventually limit what wrestlers can do in the ring.

“I think that it’s going to be a lot harder to call. Yeah, sure, we can call the basic stuff, but sometimes basic isn’t very entertaining and that’s our job, is to be as entertaining as we possibly can. So I think that’s going to be more difficult as time goes on,” he added.

Modern Style Adds Complexity

He also praised today’s wrestlers for their diverse and high-level styles, while noting that this evolution makes improvisation even more challenging.

“There’s a lot of different styles that we now bring to the ring. It’s not the same. It’s not just shoulder tackles, grab hold, suplex, power slams, not a finish. There’s a lot of different things, and a lot of different moves that guys and girls do. It’s pretty unbelievable. In fact, when you think about it, diving out of the ring and all these things have to take place, I don’t know that it could be done as well and as flawless as it was back then because it was so basic back then,” Styles said.

What “Rehearsal” Means in WWE Today

Styles also clarified how preparation works in modern WWE, stressing that matches are not fully rehearsed.

“Once you get to the ring, there will be some things where we’ll rehearse. And by rehearse, we’re not rehearsing the wrestling. We’re not doing that. We want to see what cameras are going to be in the position that we’re doing a certain thing so we get the best shot on the finish. That’s kind of what we rehearse, or maybe somebody does a run-in, want to see how everything’s done so that we get the best shot. So those things happen,” Styles explained.

Styles retired from in-ring competition after a 26-year career at the Royal Rumble earlier this year and has since been inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. He is now working in a backstage role at the WWE Performance Center, where he continues to contribute to talent development.

AJ Styles Says Fewer WWE Live Events Are Hurting In-Ring Chemistry

AdvertisementAdvertisement

AJ Styles has given high praise to Fatal Influence, pointing to their early run on SmackDown as an example of effective heel work that is getting the intended reaction.

Speaking on the Phenomenally Retro Podcast, the recently retired veteran explained that the group’s presentation immediately stood out to him.

AJ Styles Praises Fatal Influence

Styles said the trio generated the kind of response that strong villains are supposed to create.

“Well, what I like about that group is they look like the kind of people that would bully my daughter. Yeah. That makes me mad. And so I was like, ‘Oh, I was like, they’re doing so good.’ You know, it’s the opposite of how I would feel, but knowing what they’re doing and how they’re doing their job and they’re doing it well. ‘This is it.’ And so I’m like, ‘All right, keep doing what you’re doing. This is good. This is good stuff,’” Styles said.

His comments reflect how effective the group has been at drawing negative reactions, which is a key goal for any heel act.

Fatal Influence Building Momentum

Fatal Influence — made up of Jacy Jayne, Fallon Henley, and Lainey Reid — officially joined the SmackDown roster after WrestleMania 42.

Their debut immediately placed them in a high-profile spot. The group interrupted a Women’s Tag Team Championship match involving Paige and Brie Bella before Jayne stepped into a singles match against Rhea Ripley.

Recent Results Strengthen Their Position

The group continued to build momentum the following week when Jayne scored a win over Charlotte Flair with assistance from Henley and Reid.

That result further established Fatal Influence as a factor on the blue brand, with their combination of interference and presence drawing consistent reactions.

For Jayne, the call-up marks another stint on the main roster. She previously appeared in the Women’s Tag Team Titles Tournament in 2022 alongside Gigi Dolin before returning to NXT.

Now back on SmackDown, she and her stablemates have quickly positioned themselves as a group to watch.

Styles’ reaction highlights the effectiveness of their approach so far, as they continue to build their identity and presence on WWE television.

AJ Styles Praises Fatal Influence for Strong Heel Impact on SmackDown

AdvertisementAdvertisement