As AJ Styles transitions from being an active wrestler to his new backstage role, it seems he’ll be spending a great deal of time imparting wisdom onto the next generation of performers. Speaking on his new “Phenomenally Retro” podcast, Styles revealed one of the first pieces of advice he shares, especially to those who enter WWE from a collegiate athlete background.

“The only thing that I would say to [the] NIL group of guys are girls – watch pro wrestling,” Styles said. “Not just the current stuff, but the older stuff. Go back, find the libraries and watch them all, and know your history. Because you’ll find stuff in there that not a lot of people do anymore. And so what is old is new again, right? Because it’s not being done.”

The recently-retired WWE star believes that the NIL recruits typically have to work a little harder than their counterparts that get their start in the independent scene. That’s because the indie wrestlers have already been dedicating their lives to this industry, while collegiate athletes usually have to jump into an entirely new world after devoting all their time to their previous sport.

Nonetheless, Styles said plenty of NIL talent have proven that they can overcome that challenge. The former world champion just believes it takes some extra work.

Styles also explained the importance of WWE recruiting young talent rather than just waiting for new stars to steadily rise through the ranks of the independent scene. He believes the existence of AEW has made it more important for WWE to act fast when it comes to building a constantly-evolving roster.

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

In four weeks, fans and figures within the pro wrestling industry will gather for the 2026 WWE Hall of Fame ceremony, slated for Dolby Live at Park MGM in Las Vegas, Nevada. Amongst the inductees this year is former WWE World Tag Team Champions Demolition, Grand Slam Champion AJ Styles, and former WWE executive Stephanie McMahon. According to existing WWE Hall of Famer Ted DiBiase, all are worthy of the honor.

“It’s about time,” DiBiase said on “Everybody’s Got A Pod,” referencing Bill “Ax” Eadie and Barry “Smash” Darsow of Demolition. “Individually, they’re great guys. The first time I met Bill Eadie I think it was on a trip. We were both going to Japan, but I think that’s where I met him. He and Darsow, they were a great team.”

Regarding AJ Styles, who retired from in-ring competition at the 2026 Royal Rumble, DiBiase noted that he knew Styles as a “good guy” that “definitely deserves” the Hall of Fame induction.

As for Stephanie McMahon, whom fans know as a former Women’s Champion and authority WWE figure, DiBiase tipped his hat to her extensive contributions both on-screen and backstage. “Stephanie’s been there from the get-go,” he said. “She’s Vince [McMahon]’s daughter and then obviously Paul [Levesque]’s wife. They had children. I mean, I don’t think a lot of the fans would understand it because they go, ‘Well, why Stephanie?’ Well, all that she has done behind the scenes for years, it’s priceless. I’m happy for her. That’s great. This is not just about her on-screen being the character. This is about all the work that she has done for the company for so long. Yeah, it’s great.”

In addition to the aforementioned four names, NBA champion Dennis Rodman will join the 2026 Hall of Fame class. As of this writing, it’s unknown if more will follow suit.

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit “Everybody’s Got A Pod” with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.

Last summer, AEW’s QT Marshall and actor Paul Walter Hauser took part in a Fight Without Honor at ROH Death Before Dishonor, with Marshall coming out on top. Making a recent appearance on “What Happened When” with Tony Schiavone, Marshall revealed that the bout almost took place in AEW rather than ROH.

“Tony Khan approved us wrestling at an AEW event,” Marshall said. “[Hauser] said, ‘I don’t want to be at an AEW event for this particular match. I want it to be Ring of Honor, I want it to be ECW Arena.'”

Marshall went in-depth on the match, emphasizing the degree to which Hauser wanted to earn the respect of the audience and pro wrestlers who work in the industry full-time. It was Hauser who wanted to do a death match, even though he was surprised at the fact that they’d be using real barbed wire, if they wanted to use any at all.

“I pitched All In, in Texas,” Marshall said with a laugh. “I believe in trying to protect myself as much as I can.”

Hauser is an Emmy award-winning actor who made the decision to delve into pro wrestling in 2023. His previous credits include “Fantastic Four,” Netflix’s “I Think You Should Leave,” and “The Naked Gun” alongside Cody Rhodes. Though he has just the one ROH match under his belt, Hauser has gotten involved several times on AEW TV, and has more than two dozen matches under his belt for promotions like MLW, REVOLVER, and DEFY.

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

Unfortunately for WWE fans and Wyatt, the Mountain Dew Pitch Black match would mark Wyatt’s last televised in-ring appearance as he unexpectedly died in August 2023 at the age of 36.

In retrospect, Knight now considers that match and the aftermath weird things to think about. At the same time, Knight remains grateful for the “unique experience” of working with Wyatt in WWE.

“You’ve got the challenge of this very unique character, but then also it was my first real foray on the SmackDown television, on a WWE television on that main roster scale where it’s like, okay, I’m gonna make my mark here while at the same time serving this return to Bray. It was a hell of an experience,” he said. “I’d have to credit that with putting me on the map at this point.”

In the weeks following their Royal Rumble spectacle, Knight and Wyatt extended their rivalry to WWE live events and untelevised matches after “SmackDown” broadcasts. This included a series of additional Pitch Black matches and Lights Out Street Fights. Eventually, both Wyatt and Knight began new programs heading into WrestleMania 39, though in Wyatt’s case it was cut short due to his abrupt absence from television. Knight competed in the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal on the “SmackDown” before the big event.

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

It’s true what the opening lyric of Cody Rhodes’ theme song says, “Wrestling has more than one royal family.” And now, we’re witnessing the second and third generational wrestlers hone their crafts and potentially exceed their family’s past milestones. That said, it appears that Marie Malenko, the daughter of WCW, ECW, and WWE alumnus, Dean Malenko, has officially signed with WWE.

According to BodySlam+, the third generation star took part in a tryout for WWE in Orlando last month. Previously, she went through the pipeline to this eventual signing by making her pro wrestling debut in Japan through Pro Wrestling NOAH on February 2, where she participated in a three-way tag team match with Sofia Sivan. A few days later, she was featured as a singles star in Dream Star Fighting Marigold, where she worked in several competitional contests. The first was on February 7, where she and Seri Yamaoka ended in a time limit draw. The next day, she reigned victorious in her first career win against Rea Seto. In the recent past, both Marigold and NOAH have worked with WWE, providing pathways for current and future stars like Marie.

Now that the ink has dried, the question is: can Marie surpass her father and current AEW producer’s “Man of 1,000 holds” and become the “Woman of 1,001 holds?”