Below are a couple of top WWE news stories of the day, featuring The Undertaker, AJ Styles and Vince McMahon.
• During an interview with Collider, WWE Hall of Famer The Undertaker was asked what’s the biggest mistake young wrestlers make.
Here’s what The Deadman said:
“Great, great question. I talk about this quite a bit with my kids. I think the biggest mistake—and let me just kind of backtrack here a little bit. A lot of times now, we’re getting athletes that are coming from different sports, and not all of them were fans of wrestling.
A lot of times, this is just something they think they might be good at, or they want to give it a shot. So I think the biggest mistake a lot of times is when these kids watch our programming, and then they try to go in the ring and act like wrestlers instead of being wrestlers.
They try to emulate what they’re seeing, and it comes off disingenuous to the fans and to people who really know the business. It looks staged.
You have to be able to dive into something inside of you and bring it out to set yourself apart.
That’s probably the hardest thing for new wrestlers to grasp—not to act like a wrestler, but to actually be a wrestler.”
• According to PWInsider, WWE Hall of Famer & D-Generation X member “The Road Dogg” Jesse James aka Brian James has been named the new Co-Lead Writer for SmackDown, joining John Swikata in overseeing the brand’s creative direction.
This marks a return to familiar territory for Road Dogg, who previously led SmackDown’s writing team in 2017. Meanwhile, Swikata has been handling lead writing duties since late 2024 following Ryan Callahan’s departure.
Although Swikata has largely remained out of the spotlight, his creative influence has shaped SmackDown’s recent direction. Now, with Road Dogg stepping into the role alongside him, the brand’s storytelling could see some notable shifts.
Road Dogg has been outspoken about WWE’s booking philosophy, particularly his defense of 50/50 booking. In 2023, he stirred debate by claiming “wins and losses don’t matter.” With him now playing a major role in SmackDown’s creative team, fans will be watching closely to see how his influence shapes storylines on the road to WrestleMania 41.
After a fan criticized Road Dogg’s past booking, AJ Styles showed support for the DX member by taking a shot at Vince McMahon’s booking:
“Before judging this guy from his past performance as the head writer. Just know that there was a man who picked it apart to the point that it was no longer his ideas anymore.”
