Jade Cargill is viewing her first run as WWE Women’s Champion as a learning experience and says her next reign will be different following her loss at WrestleMania 42.

Speaking with The Takedown on Sports Illustrated, Cargill reflected on her nearly 170-day reign and her match with Rhea Ripley. She credited Ripley’s experience but made it clear she believes she contributed equally to the performance.

“She can’t go out there and have that stellar match if I don’t put on a show as well. Rhea has always had amazing dance partners. She’s worked with Charlotte, she’s worked with Becky. It takes two to tango. I wasn’t nervous last year. I had a match with the great Naomi. I thought we had a superb match in itself. It wasn’t a title match, so obviously it’s not gonna have as much buzz around it, but I don’t think that this was any different. I just had a title. And a title doesn’t make me, I make the title,” Cargill said.

Cargill was also direct about what she felt was missing from her reign. She pointed to a lack of consistent, competitive matches as her main frustration.

“I wanted to wrestle more. I wanted more competitive matches. I wanted more grit. I really wanted to sink my teeth into whatever was being thrown at me. That’s all I wanted with my reign, but we didn’t get that as much as I wanted, and that’s fine. But now that I had a practice run, I’m gonna call it a practice run, I’m gonna say next time is gonna be totally different,” she said.

She also referenced her early wrestling experience, recalling advice from Shaquille O’Neal during her AEW debut alongside Cody Rhodes and Red Velvet, noting how it shaped her mindset in high-pressure situations.

“I’ve been around superstars my entire life. That first match in AEW, I was working with Cody Rhodes, and I was working with Shaquille O’Neal. Something that always sticks with me is that I asked him if he was nervous. He was like, ‘Nervous? I can go out there, I could trip, fall, whatever. I’m still gonna be me. I’m still a star,’” Cargill said.

Cargill originally won the WWE Women’s Championship in November 2025 from Tiffany Stratton and held the title until WrestleMania 42 Sunday, where Ripley ended her reign.

Her comments indicate a shift in focus moving forward, with an emphasis on in-ring output and consistency ahead of a potential second title run.

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Giovanni Vinci is preparing for his in-ring return after stepping away from wrestling following his WWE release in February 2025.

Vinci, whose real name is Fabian Aichner, has not competed since December 2024. After more than a year away, he discussed his departure and future during an appearance on Insight with Chris Van Vliet, explaining that he needed time to reset before making his next move.

“I just knew that after the call — because it was such a surreal feeling, man,” Vinci said. “It was like, on the one hand, it sucked that that chapter was over because that’s what I wanted to do since I was 13 years old. But on the other hand, because it was such a roller coaster leading up to that, it felt freeing in a way.

“Like, I told a friend of mine, he asked me if I was okay. I said, ‘Yeah, man, I’m good.’ It’s almost like when you’re in school and school ends and you go on summer vacation. Just all the weight was off because at least I knew. At least I knew. There was no more thinking about it. And really, after that, all I did was, I just knew I was taking some time. Didn’t know how much it was. And, yeah, I didn’t think about how long exactly I was going to be out for. Just like, okay, I’m going to need some space, take some time for myself, figure myself out, and, yeah, enjoy life a little bit.”

Vinci admitted he had mixed feelings about the release. While he hoped SmackDown’s expansion to three hours would create more opportunities, his singles run after splitting from Imperium did not develop as expected.

He confirmed there is no set timeline for his return but noted that discussions are ongoing and that he is preparing for when the right opportunity comes.

“I feel like there’s way more things to do for me,” Vinci said. “I feel like I haven’t reached my full potential yet. I feel like some people know what I can do, but I know I can do a lot more. And I just really, like, yeah, I wanted to take enough time to not come back and go in halfway. So I definitely work out, like I want to wrestle again. I feel like there’s many things still to do. Nothing set in stone yet, but when that opportunity comes, I know I’ll be ready for it.”

Looking ahead, Vinci emphasized a shift in mindset. He wants to focus less on pressure and more on enjoying his work.

“Whereas nowadays, I just want to have fun, man,” he said. “I want to go out there — because that’s what it’s supposed to be. It’s just fun.

“I want to have great matches. I want to be authentic. I want to tear it up with whoever I’m in the ring with. Just have a good time and enjoy the process. Live in the moment. And I know that’s when great things are going to happen.”

Vinci’s comments indicate he is nearing a return, with the focus now on timing and the right opportunity.

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Randy Orton has explained how Vince McMahon played a key role in making the RKO one of the most protected finishing moves in wrestling.

Speaking with The Schmo ahead of WrestleMania 42, Orton reflected on his career when asked about notable wrestling families. Instead of directly answering, he focused on McMahon’s influence, especially when it came to protecting his finisher.

“It’s funny because that RKO is everything. Vince had a huge hand to play because when I would be wrestling somebody, and I was younger, they would want to kick out of my finish. Vince would pull me aside and say, ‘We’re not going to do that. We’re not going to let that happen.’ I’ll never hit a guy with three RKOs to cover him and pin him. I’m not going to dilute my finish. That is always going to be a kill shot, and I can hit it out of nowhere. Vince has a huge part to play when it comes to my finish, and that’s a huge part of being a WWE superstar, what’s your finishing move,” Orton said.

Orton made it clear that the protection of the RKO was a deliberate decision early in his career. By limiting kickouts and avoiding overuse, the move has remained effective and credible over time.

He did not begin his WWE run using the RKO. Early in his career, Orton used the O-Zone as his primary finisher before transitioning to the RKO, which became his signature move. Over time, he also added the punt kick as another high-impact option.

The RKO is now widely recognized as one of the most consistent and effective finishers in WWE, with its “out of nowhere” execution becoming a defining part of Orton’s matches.

Randy Orton Credits Vince McMahon for Protecting the RKO

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Brock Lesnar’s emotional moment at WrestleMania 42 Sunday may not signal a definitive retirement, despite how it appeared on the surface.

After losing to Oba Femi, Lesnar left his gloves and boots in the ring, embraced Paul Heyman, and acknowledged the crowd as fans chanted “Thank you, Brock.” The following night on WWE RAW, the company aired a tribute video package, with Heyman stating Lesnar belongs in the “Forever” portion of WWE’s “Then. Now. Forever” opening.

However, according to Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio, the internal belief within WWE is that Lesnar has not officially retired.

“I will only say that based on people in WWE, they believe he’s not retiring yet, although he is retiring at some point probably this year. I don’t know that anyone knows. This might be one of those things where everything is being kept quiet like the Seth Rollins thing (fake injury). A couple of people have mentioned it, that’s the belief. We’ll see. I’m not like saying that this is for sure because I don’t know if anyone knows for sure,” Meltzer said.

A separate report from Bodyslam indicated that only a small group within WWE knew in advance that Lesnar would leave his gear in the ring. Many backstage had expected his retirement to take place later in the year, potentially at SummerSlam in Minneapolis, making the WrestleMania moment a surprise internally.

Meltzer also noted that the Lesnar vs. Femi program was originally planned as a longer feud. Those plans reportedly changed weeks before WrestleMania, leading to the match being shortened into a one-time encounter, which Femi won in under five minutes.

Adding another layer to the situation, GUNTHER’s unresolved “favor” from Paul Heyman remains in play. That detail could factor into Lesnar’s future if he returns, potentially setting up a match between the two.

For now, Lesnar’s status remains unclear. While the WrestleMania scene carried strong retirement symbolism, multiple reports suggest the door is still open for at least one more chapter.

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