Mandy Rose & Tino Sabbatelli Blast Bullsh*t WWE Releases, Big Debut At WWE Backlash 2025?, Rey Mysterio’s Rumored AAA Replacement

Rey Mysterio may have launched AAA’s first event in partnership with WWE, but his recent injury has created setbacks for both promotions.

According to a report from WrestleVotes Radio, Mysterio was originally slated to appear at TripleMania Regia, but those plans were scrapped following his injury.

In light of his absence, WWE and AAA are reportedly considering featuring El Grande Americano — fresh off a win on WWE Speed — at the upcoming event instead.

Mysterio recently underwent surgery to repair a torn abductor muscle, which he sustained during the SmackDown episode prior to WrestleMania 41.

TripleMania Regia is scheduled for June 15. WWE Superstars Humberto and Angel have already been confirmed for the AAA show.

A major debut may be on the horizon at this weekend’s WWE Backlash pay-per-view event, set for May 10 in St. Louis, Missouri.

According to a report from Pwinsider Elite, former New Japan Pro Wrestling standout Jeff Cobb is expected to join WWE soon, with speculation within the company suggesting that he could make an appearance at Backlash 2025.

While Cobb’s presence at the event is possible, the report notes that it’s still uncertain whether he will appear on-screen.

WrestleVotes Radio previously reported that WWE has considered bypassing NXT entirely for Cobb, potentially fast-tracking him straight to the main roster.

On a recent episode of their “Power Alphas” podcast, former WWE Superstars Mandy Rose and Tino Sabbatelli addressed the latest round of WWE releases. They specifically discussed reactions from Gigi Dolin and Cora Jade, who responded to rumors suggesting that some talent were let go due to being perceived as not putting in enough effort during training — allegedly even being labeled as “lazy.” Both Dolin and Jade strongly denied these claims, insisting they were never unwilling to work hard or lacking dedication in their training.

You can check out some highlights from the podcast below:

Mandy Rose on Gigi Dolin and Cora Jade responding to the rumors: “There are some rumors going around that I happened to see on social media. One rumor was, ‘Apparently, the people that got released weren’t putting in enough work or they were lazy.’ A couple of the girls, Cora and Gigi, made a comment about it on Twitter. I like that they spoke up. I think it’s BS and it’s so stupid because we’ve been there and we know how it works when it comes to releases. You can’t sit and say there was a specific reason or make up a reason of being ‘Someone didn’t put in enough work.’”

On the wrestlers not having time to be lazy at the WWE PC: “There is no time to be lazy at the PC. You’re training all week, you’re putting in the work, some of these girls have been there a couple of years now. You’re going to live events and traveling all around Florida. You have one day off, like Sunday, to regroup and all that. You’re hustling. To say that is so stupid. Then there was a rumor ‘Braun Strowman was getting paid too much,’ maybe that’s true, I don’t know.”

Tino Sabbatelli on the rumor of Braun Strowman getting released because his salary was too high: “Let me squash all that bulls*** right now and tell you why it’s all bullsh*t. They have to say something to justify the release. … It’s a business model with a revolving door, meaning as guys sit in their office and they are dorks and nerds and they crunch numbers all day and they know WWE has X amount of money for their salary and X amount of money to pay. Every six, eight, ten weeks, they have layoffs. That’s what they do.”

Sabbatelli on how WWE likely decides upon the releases: “Whatever that period of time is, they probably sit in a room, ‘We have cuts this week. Here we go. Who is running cold? Who is not cooperating?’ They go down this list. ‘We have to eliminate ten people so we can hire ten new people,’ and that’s the way the revolving door works. At the end of the day, there shouldn’t be any kind of excuses or blame, it’s just your time is up and your time is to move on and try something new. There are so many opportunities out there. They might call you back. It’s a business. Professional industries: football, basketball, wrestling, whatever it is. You are a piece of meat, a ticket in the line, and when your ticket is called, you go play. When your ticket is thrown in the garbage, you have to leave. That’s just reality.”

Mandy Rose on how the rumors annoy the wrestlers: “It really is. When it comes to WWE, we’ve been there and have seen people come and go constantly. What annoys the talent when they do get released is seeing stupid s*** like that on the internet because me personally, I would find that annoying too. If I was Cora, Gigi, Jakara, Katana, Kayden, Dakota Kai and these other girls that got released, you can’t say they were lazy or didn’t put enough work in. Dakota Kai had two or three injuries. Do you know what it takes to get back from a knee injury? To get back into full tip top shape? You can’t say that. I think that’s what bothers them and why they spit back, which I don’t blame them.”

Sabbatelli on what he thinks the reality of the situation is: “The reality is, everyone is in different situations. One person could be getting paid too much. One person is not being used or fizzling out.

Mandy Rose: “Contracts are coming up and they don’t want to renew.”

Sabatelli: “Every single person who gets released is a different scenario.”