Zelina Vega has officially become the newest member of WWE’s Prototype Talent Agency, joining a roster that features notable wrestling figures such as Cody Rhodes, Bubba Ray Dudley, and Billy Gunn. This development comes just before Vega’s scheduled challenge against Giulia for the WWE Women’s United States Championship on this week’s episode of SmackDown. Vega’s career extends beyond wrestling, including her portrayal of AJ Lee in the film Fighting With My Family and voice acting in Street Fighter 6.
Cody Rhodes Shares Insights on Leaving AEW and Returning to WWE
Cody Rhodes has recently opened up about his decision to depart from All Elite Wrestling (AEW) and return to WWE, providing detailed context about his career moves. After leaving WWE in 2016, Rhodes built his reputation on the independent wrestling circuit, teaming with The Young Bucks (Matt and Nick Jackson) and Kenny Omega—members of the Bullet Club—culminating in the major event All In, which paved the way for AEW’s creation. Alongside Omega and The Young Bucks, Rhodes served as an Executive Vice President of AEW.
Rhodes left AEW in February 2022 and made a high-profile return to WWE at WrestleMania 38. On a recent episode of The Bill Simmons Podcast, he reflected on his tenure with AEW and his reasons for moving on. Rhodes explained,
“It’s hard to put myself in that spot again. I started to get a sense … Michael Hayes is famous for, ‘Always leave the territory at your hottest.’ I started to get a sense that all wrestling needs change. Guys are going to go from company to company. You have to keep it fresh. I just got the sense that it might be time for me to move into something else. I didn’t know what that was. I remember thinking, ‘Oh, that’d be crazy to be part of the Royal Rumble. To come home.’ I made another home. I got kids at this home, basically, but to show everybody. The first meeting I had with Vince (McMahon) and Bruce Prichard, I didn’t think I was coming back. I was excited to go to that meeting to tell them both thank you. I left on crazy bad terms. No one could leave how I left. They didn’t even sign my release papers. I left in a terrible place. They let it happen, probably out of respect for my dad more than anything. Then I went out and fought so hard. I’m filled with rage. I’m smashing the throne. I’m bleeding. I’m setting myself on fire. I was going through it and living it out for everyone who was watching, but I wanted to tell them both ‘thanks. You guys helped build me and train me.’ I took all those skills and I took them everywhere I went. Every company, every independent, I got to reinvent myself on how I wanted to be in WWE, I got to be that outside. That’s all I thought it was going to be, a sense of closure. ‘Thank you so much for the lessons I never got to thank you for.’ Then it turned into be something else by the end of that meeting.”
He added further clarity about his feelings on AEW and WWE:
“Maybe that’s a little of it [on whether he could elevate AEW]. I started thinking about writing a book the other day. I was thinking, ‘What would I say? How would I put it?’ There is clearly bad blood, but there is also clearly respect and love. In the end, the way I kind of see it is, if I felt disrespected ever at WWE, that’s one thing. That’s a company that was built…that’s the Yankees, that’s the flagship of it all. If I ever felt there (in WWE), ‘I was a number on a sheet,’ but feeling disrespected at something I built with my friends. We built. Feeling disrespected there, I wouldn’t stand for it. Brandi and I both. I’m so blessed to have her. It was one of those where it was, ‘F**k it. I did way more here than you think, and you’re going to find out the moment I’m out the door.’ I hate saying that with any sense of anger or rage, but I’m like the angriest person you’re ever going to meet [Laughs]. I don’t believe in the cold-hearted backstabby type of revenge. The greatest revenge on Earth is success. I felt like we were sitting on something wonderful, something great. Potentially, what I was doing with the American Nightmare, as a bad guy, a good guy, something in-between, we’re sitting on something magical. If I’m not going to do it in the house that I literally, with Matt, Nick, and Kenny built, then buddy, I’m going elsewhere. Every day, I’m so blessed that Bruce Prichard, Nick, Triple H, and Vince got me back. I get to live it out now.”
Rhodes concluded with reflections on his career achievements despite past difficulties:
“If it hurts even more when you’re tasked to do something when somebody sees it with their own eyes, but then, I don’t look at any of it…I said I was angry and enraged, I don’t look at it with any negativity, and here’s why: I got to be part of WWE again. I got to be part of WWE, we’re talking about (Steve) Austin and (Hulk) Hogan, two of the greatest to ever lace their boots, and every one of those records have been broken. I got to be in the matches that broke those records. I got to stand across from Roman Reigns at (WrestleMania) 39, I got to do it again. I got the quarterback spot at a company where I was last in the combine. I’m very grateful. That’s why I have trouble articulating it and why I want to write this book. I’m very grateful because, this schism happened, but the outcome is I got to be with the biggest game in town. Not only did I get this spot, I got to show them that I could do it.”
Simmons, the podcast host, agreed this was a smart move career-wise, to which Rhodes replied, Good career move.
Remembering Hulk Hogan: Jimmy Hart Reflects on Final WWE Appearance and Political Views
Legendary wrestler Terry Bollea, known worldwide as Hulk Hogan, passed away last Thursday at 71 years of age. Jimmy Hart, who was with Hogan during his last WWE appearance at the RAW on Netflix premiere in Inglewood, California, recently shared his memories of the event. Hart recalled how Hogan was visibly distressed after receiving boos from the crowd during the segment. He also spoke on Hogan’s political stance, specifically his support for Donald Trump based on the belief that Trump would “straighten this place out.”
Hart described their experience at the event and the mixed reaction Hogan faced, saying,
“Speaking of what you’re talking about now, that’s what happened to us when we went to Los Angeles. You hear so much about that, but I’m gonna set that straight too in my opinion… Here’s the deal, I’m not a Democrat or Republican. I’m just a jabroni. Hulk (Hogan) knew that, okay? So I didn’t go with him to the Republican Convention or anything because, you know, not because I wanted to hide or wasn’t for (Donald) Trump or wasn’t for (Joe) Biden or anybody. I’m just like I said, jabroni so… We were going to Los Angeles. Now, going in there, which I kind of told Hulk, I said, ‘Wow.’ I said, you know, ‘Blue state! Red state!’ I said, ‘Woo!’ You know? He had a Trump-Vance t-shirt on which he did some pre-publicity, right? I’m going, ‘Oh my gosh, this is gonna be good.’ We’ve got Kamala Harris down the block with her big thing going on. So we come flying into L.A, baby. So we come in there, he’s got that Trump-Vance t-shirt on. We get out, man, then we go and all of a sudden I hear a few of the people like, ‘Boo, boo. Trump –’ I’m going, you know what? This doesn’t feel right. ‘Jimmy, don’t worry about it.’ ‘Okay, Hulk. That’s okay. Don’t worry about it.’ So we go in there and we do our little rehearsal and stuff like that and my job is just to wave the flag, brother, wave the flag. Don’t let it hit the ground. Wave that flag. I’m just waving the heck out of it. So we go out, we kind of get a mixed reaction, and you know this, you can have 500 people cheering you and one person booing you, but I’ll be darned if that one person outshine the dag-on 500 cheering for you. You know how that works, right? So we go out, so it’s kind of a mixed reaction, but it’s a little bit more boos than anything. But that devastated him and we got in the back, he said, ‘What do you think happened?’ I said, ‘Hulk, it’s simple. Blue state, red state. Trump-Vance.’ I said, ‘I’m okay with it.’ He goes, ‘What are you thinking?’ And I said, ‘I’m okay. I felt like I was managing The Hart Foundation against The British Bulldogs or the Killer Bees…’ But that bothered him because of that and I said, ‘Well, surely people are gonna realize what that was for.’ Then the next week, we’re in Texas and it’s all cheers. But, that always bothered him. It sure did.”
Hart went on to emphasize Hogan’s conviction about supporting Trump despite the backlash:
“Well, he did (take the fallout from it). He said, ‘Jimmy, I have to do it.’ He said, ‘I just have to do it. I think this is the right thing. He’s gonna straighten this place out. He’s gonna do it,’ and so far, Hulk’s been right. It’s looking pretty darn good.”
Contextualizing Recent WWE and AEW Developments in Wrestling
Zelina Vega’s integration into the WWE-focused Prototype Talent Agency reflects her rising profile and expanded role outside wrestling, highlighted by her upcoming WWE Women’s United States Championship challenge. This move aligns her with a roster that includes distinguished wrestlers such as Cody Rhodes, who himself represents a significant narrative after transitioning back from AEW and logging notable achievements in WWE.
Rhodes’ reflections on his career transitions provide insight into the evolving wrestling landscape, especially the changing nature of company loyalty and the need for reinvention to maintain relevance. His stance demonstrates a professional philosophy valuing respect, success, and personal growth over bitterness or vendettas, shedding light on the competitive dynamics between wrestling promotions.
The death of Hulk Hogan, a towering figure in wrestling history, has also ushered in retrospection about the intersection of wrestling, celebrity, and politics. Hogan’s last WWE appearance and political support for Donald Trump have generated discussions on how personal beliefs impact public reception in the sport-entertainment world.
Anticipated Impact on WWE’s Talent and Industry Outlook
Vega’s partnership with Prototype Talent Agency signals WWE’s strategic efforts to empower key performers with broader career avenues, enhancing their visibility both inside and outside the ring. This collaboration is likely to bolster Vega’s upcoming championship pursuit and set a precedent for how WWE talents leverage external agency support.
Cody Rhodes’ detailed commentary on his exit from AEW and reintegration into WWE could encourage dialogue on career trajectories within wrestling, emphasizing adaptability and renewed dedication. His narrative underscores WWE’s capacity to reclaim and rejuvenate talents previously affiliated with rival organizations.
The passing of Hulk Hogan and reflections shared by Jimmy Hart also frame ongoing conversations about legacy, fan reactions, and the role of political affiliations in wrestling, topics that will continue influencing the industry’s public image. As WWE advances toward major events such as SummerSlam 2025, these developments shape both its internal culture and fan engagement strategies.
