During a town hall with WWE and TKO staff on Monday with WWE President Nick Khan, a variety of topics were covered including record profits, safety of traveling to Saudi Arabia for shows, and criticism of storylines. The topic that has garnered the most attention is WWE’s use of AI.
TKO President Mark Shapiro said that using AI was a “major priority”. Andrew Schleimer, TKO Chief Financial Officer, expanded a bit more on their use of AI. He said they’ve used it for data and analytics on both WWE and UFC consumers. Shapiro didn’t provide more details, but was quoted as saying that “Nick Khan and Paul Levesque are using AI for storylines with the WWE.” There was no clarification of how exactly AI is used for storylines, how often, and how much they’re relying on AI for storylines.
Last fall, Dave Meltzer reported that WWE was using AI in its creative process. Following Shapiro’s comments on Khan and Levesque utilizing AI in storylines, Meltzer provided his thoughts on Wrestling Observer. They experimented with AI last year for storylines and “the ideas were totally a disaster. There were things that were not viable and could not work. They have not figured out a way to make it work. Obviously, they’re going to keep trying. If they’re going to use it, they’re going to tweak it to make it viable.” He points out that if the match structure isn’t good, that would be due to the match’s agents, not AI.
“AI will never be the final thing. It would be a way to get ideas. They are using it in booking and analytics.”
If you use any quotes from this article, please credit Wrestling Observer and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.
Matt Hardy is optimistic about the futures of two “WWE NXT” call-ups to the main roster, stating that they have the potential to become legends.
Hardy revealed on “The Extreme Life of Matt Hardy Podcast” that he is pleased to see Ethan Page get the call-up to the main roster, arguing that he was ready for TV when he signed with WWE, and would’ve benefitted from working with Shawn Michaels.
“I think it’s a good call. You know, I know we talked about before, he was ready when he walked in NXT. I feel like he was pretty much TV-ready as it was. The fact that he got experience at NXT, he got the feel of the WWE format, got to work with Shawn Michaels, which is a blessing for anyone just to get his feedback and input, and insight into things. So, it was a good experience for him, but I think he has done everything he could do in NXT,” he said. “I think he is the epitome of a sports entertainer because he is very good in ring, he’s very good on promos, and he gets character stuff, and he gets telling stories.”
Hardy was then asked how far Page, as well as another recent “NXT” call-up, Joe Hendry, could go on the main roster. The tag team legend, who has worked with both stars in AEW and TNA, respectively, has high hopes for them and feels they could become legends in WWE.
“I think they have the potential to do good. I think they are both so creative, and they’re also so innovative, and they’re willing to do different things. They’re willing to experiment,” Hardy explained. “I think both of those could possibly end up, you know, reaching a very high, near the top position in WWE. I think they could both be players and become legends because they could do so well as they go up.”
Matt Hardy clarified that several other factors need to fall into place for them to succeed, such as the stories they are given and whether fans become invested in their characters.
When WWE announced the signing of four new Performance Center trainees on Wednesday, most of the names didn’t stand out. The one who did, however, is Zoe Hines. A former college softball player, Hines is best known for being the niece of actress Cheryl Hines and current US Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has developed a close working relationship with WWE chief content officer Triple H over the last year. Though Kennedy had declared Hines had signed back in March, WWE hadn’t confirmed the news until yesterday.
Discussing Hines’ WWE signing on the latest “Wrestling Observer Radio,” Dave Meltzer seemed to confirm that the signing had been preordained ever since Hines first tried out for WWE during SummerSlam weekend last year. This was despite the fact that, according to Meltzer, many were not impressed by Hines’ tryout.
“It was very much…like this was one that was politically forced on them,” Meltzer said. “It’s not like when she had her tryout…it’s not like she knocked them dead or even knocked them even. It was very much said that…it was a forced hiring, because of who she was and because, you know, Robert F. Kennedy and Linda McMahon both being in the cabinet. It was just…she wanted to try.”
Meltzer compared Hines’ signing to that of Dwayne Johnson’s daughter Simone Johnson, aka former “WWE NXT” GM Ava, and also insinuated that many in WWE weren’t thrilled with this signing due to how unimpressive Hines’ tryout was.
“Everyone can improve, you know?” Meltzer said. “You never know. But it was one of those where the people who knew and seen and everything like that that told me it was a hiring they were dreading, cause it was a forced. Anyway, it’s now official. But it’s been official for a long, long time.”
If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit “Wrestling Observer Radio” and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription
WWE SmackDown is scheduled to shift back to a two-hour format this summer, and the change is part of the long-term structure of its deal with USA Network.
According to Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio, the transition is expected to happen either in the final week of June or the first week of July, with early July being the most likely timeframe. The move is not temporary but tied directly to how the current agreement is structured.
“It’ll go either the last week of June or the first week in July, I believe it’s the first week of July. The contract that they have signed now is January until the end of June would be three hours, then the first of July to the end of December would be two hours, so that’s the way the deal is structured right now,” Meltzer said.
He added that this format is expected to remain in place for several years.
“For the foreseeable future, yeah. Probably for the next four years,” Meltzer said.
The schedule outlines a recurring cycle. SmackDown will air as a three-hour show from January through June, then shift to two hours from July through December each year under the current deal.
This format reflects recent scheduling trends. SmackDown expanded to three hours in January 2025, then returned to two hours between July and late December 2025. It moved back to three hours in January 2026 and has remained at that length since. The updated structure now formalizes that pattern.
The timing of the switch is expected to align with the second season of Everything on the Menu featuring Braun Strowman, which is anticipated to premiere in early summer.
SmackDown also continues to stream on Netflix in several international markets.
WrestleMania 42 was well on its way to being a disappointment by the time night two rolled around. Saturday was a lackluster affair, with Gunther’s victory against Seth Rollins the only contest on the entire card worthy of rewatching. Sunday was much improved, with Oba Femi defeating Brock Lesnar in the Beast’s seeming retirement match and Penta’s successful defense of the Intercontinental title in an 8-man ladder match, both incredibly entertaining.
But the match of the night, and indeed the Match of the Year so far, came in the main event. CM Punk defended his World Heavyweight Championship against former long-reigning Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns in a contest that was the very definition of a “Big fight feel.” In the end, the Tribal Chief would reclaim his throne, nailing the champion with two spears after a chaotic back-and-forth affair to get the pinfall victory.
So, where does the match rank in terms of the best of Reigns’ 11 (3 x Night One) main events? Let’s take a look.
4 – Roman Reigns def. Cody Rhodes WrestleMania 39
WrestleMania 39 was the 955th day of Roman Reigns’ epic Undisputed WWE Universal Championship reign, and his main event opposite Cody Rhodes marked the first time that online betting sites thought that the Tribal Chief could lose the gold. The Bovada sports betting odds heading into the contest listed the long-reigning champion as a 2/1 outsider to continue his reign as king, with the American Nightmare positioned as the clear 1/3 favorite to finish the story. And in the end, it was the championship’s underdog nature that made this match all the more compelling.
Thousands of fans crammed into the stunning SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, expecting to see a new champion crowned. What they witnessed was a back-and-forth extravaganza that kept them on the edge of their seats, unsure which way the match would ultimately go. After all, you can never bet against Roman Reigns at WrestleMania.
Following interference from Reigns’ Bloodline brethren The Usos, as well as a counterattack from Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens – both in Cody’s corner – it looked as though Rhodes would claim the title. He hit the champion with two of his Cross Rhodes finishing moves, and just as he was gunning for a third, he would get hit with the Samoan Spike from Bloodline enforcer Solo Sikoa, allowing Reigns to hit the spear and shockingly retain his title against all odds.
3 – Roman Reigns def. CM Punk – WrestleMania 42
Perhaps this is recency bias, but Roman Reigns’ victory against CM Punk in the main event of WrestleMania 42 on April 19th of this year felt like an all-timer. The two superstars spent weeks trading barbs on Monday Night Raw, with anticipation reaching a fever pitch heading into Las Vegas’ Allegiant Stadium. On fight night, both headed to the ring amid iconic entrances, Reigns returning to his glorious “Head of the Table” theme song and Punk briefly showcasing his Ring of Honor theme Miseria Cantare.
Once the action got underway, both men threw everything at the other. Reigns power-bombed Punk through an announce table; Punk would respond by elbow dropping the challenger through another. After plenty of back and forth, it looked as though Punk would retain the gold when he hit the Tribal Chief with a Go-To-Sleep, only for Reigns to fall back onto Punk’s shoulders. The World Heavyweight Champion would then look for a second Go-To-Sleep, only to crumble under the weight of Reigns after 30 minutes of grueling action, playing into the “Old Man Punk” storyline the pair had built up.
That opened the door for Reigns, and he would hit the champion with a pair of Spears to claim the title in a WrestleMania main event that will stand the test of time.
The very first of Roman Reigns 11 Mania main events came way back in 2015. He won the Royal Rumble that year to a chorus of boos, with fans unhappy that the “Big Dog” was being pushed down their throats. To make matters worse among an unhappy fan base, it seemed as though Reigns would ultimately win the WWE World Heavyweight Championship as his opponent, Brock Lesnar, was thought to be leaving WWE at the culmination of WrestleMania 31. Then, in the week heading into Mania, Lesnar surprisingly penned a new deal to remain with the company, plunging the result of the main event into uncertainty.
At Levi’s Stadium in San Francisco, no one truly knew which direction WWE would head in. Would Lesnar retain? Would Reigns win the title? In the end, it was neither, as the company pulled the trigger on the swerve of all swerves. But before that, Lesnar and Reigns would go to battle in an absolute war.
Lesnar hit Reigns with an F5 right out of the gate, but not before the challenger legitimately busted open the champion in less than 60 seconds. Lesnar would introduce Reigns and the world to “Suplex City,” landing no fewer than eight suplexes on the stricken challenger. Then, after the wound was opened up on Lesnar after he was pushed into the ring post, it looked as though Reigns would get the win, hitting two Spears, only for the champion to somehow kick out at 2.99.
After Lesnar delivered a fourth F5, both men were stricken on the mat. Then, shockingly, Seth Rollins made his way to the ring, cashed in his Money in the Bank briefcase, turned the match into a triple threat, and hit a curb stomp on Reigns to steal the title.
1 – Cody Rhodes def. Roman Reigns – WrestleMania 40
This is the match that you would show to a non-wrestling fan if you wanted to get them into wrestling. Cody Rhodes finally finishing the story against Roman Reigns in the main event of WrestleMania 40 is arguably the greatest Mania main event of all time. It truly had it all: Guest appearances from The Rock, The Undertaker, and John Cena, as well as the perfect story told over the course of a year following Rhodes’ surprise defeat to Reigns the year prior.
Both men had epic entrances to the ring, and both hit their finishing moves early. However, it’s the last five minutes that everyone remembers. Jimmy Uso made his way to the ring in a bid to help Reigns retain the gold, only for his outcast brother Jey Uso to thwart his twin’s efforts. Then, Solo Sikoa looked to aid Reigns’ victory, only for John Cena to shockingly emerge and put the Enforcer through a table.
The Rock then made his way to the ring and hit Cena with a Rock Bottom. Seth Rollins then made an appearance, but he was too bruised and battered from his efforts the night before to make an impact, getting hit with a spear by Reigns. Finally, The Undertaker made a shocking appearance, hitting The Rock with a Chokeslam.
After the carnage, Roman Reigns stood with a steel chair in hand. Rhodes was open on one side of the ring, long-time adversary Rollins on the other. Reigns chose to crash the steel into the back of Rollins, and it would be to his detriment, as Rhodes then nailed Reigns with a trifecta of Cross Rhodes to pick up one of the most emotional victories in professional wrestling history.
