Light it up! On an all-new episode of General Hospital star, Maurice Benard’s (Sonny Corinthos) mental health series, State of Mind, he welcomed back to the show, AJ Lee (aka AJ Mendez) for update on her life in and out of the pro wrestling ring.

Before the Sunday, June 14 episode dropped, AJ had previously appeared on State of Mind, back in November of 2021, where she shared with the three-time Daytime Emmy winner her struggles with bipolar disorder, and one terrible situation back in 2014 where she contemplated a suicide attempt.

As WWE fans know, in September of 2025, Lee made a triumphant return to the wrestling ring after she stepped away 10 years ago. AJ is married to former WWE champion CM Punk (aka Phil Brooks), and both were a part of a major storyline against Seth Rollins and his real-life wife, Becky Lynch. This past April, Lynch defeated Lee to win back the women’s Intercontinental Championship at WrestleMania 42. Following that, Lee stepped away, for now, from the WWE. CM Punk, who lost the WWE World title to Roman Reigns at WrestleMania, is expected back on WWE programming in the near future when ‘RAW’ rolls into his hometown of Chicago on July 6.

Photo: WWE

AJ LEE’S RECENT WWE COMEBACK WAS DONE UNDER WATCHFUL EYES

AJ, who has been an open book about her mental health struggles and who has been advocate for those also struggling, shared how the behind the scenes of the pro wrestling business has changed in the last ten years, and how this time, there were built in protections in-place if she were to run into any mental health issues.

“My first run was maybe ten years, then I took ten years off,” explained Lee to Benard. “To be fair, I am very lucky. I never had to have a surgery for wrestling-related injuries. Most people don’t make it out unscathed like that. Knock on wood. I’ve had suggested surgeries, but I haven’t done that for my neck. I’ve like strained stuff and had minor tears, here and there, but a lot of the culture when I was younger was you just keep going because it’s going to keep going without you. So, if you’re injured, you just kind of fake it and say you’re fine and keep going.”

However, fast-forward to 2025 and during AJ’s comeback, she felt taken care of. “It’s very much not like that now, which I was really happy to see. It’s very much about, ‘let’s have a conversation about how you’re feeling and you can get time off, and you can spend more time with your family.’ I will say to their credit, my biggest concern coming back was my mental health. WWE President Nick Khan and WWE Chief Content Officer, Paul “Triple H” Levesque, were the bosses that kind of brought me (back) in. They were so open about saying, ‘We will protect your mental health and if we don’t, we’re not doing our job. That’s got to be our number one priority.’ It was never like that 10 years ago. I felt like I had to hide this that part of me 10 years ago. So, for my bosses to support me in that way (meant everything).”

Photo: WWE

AJ CALLS HER BIPOLAR DISORDER BY THE NAME “JEAN”

As it turns out, AJ has a very intriguing way to deal with manic episodes when she feels them coming on, as she explained to Maurice, “I made friends with my bipolar disorder and the darker stuff. I named it and I call her ‘Jean,’ and when she’s acting up, I’m like ‘Jean, you’re not being cool.” I think the hardest thing, especially this year has been trying to cope with the big feelings and how to high stay balanced, I had a big fear coming back to the spotlight and wrestling again. Ten years ago, I was at my lowest when it seemed like I was on the top of the world as a champion. So, taking 10 years and really taking care of myself and feeling the healthiest I’ve ever felt, then being like, ‘okay, now go back into wrestling.’ I was really scared about what that (type of) pressure was going to do. I felt so proud of myself for having the tools now. If I wake up anxious, or I am anxious behind the scenes and about to go out through the curtain in wrestling, now I know how to work with it.”

Photo: WWE

AJ HAS HIGH PRAISE FOR HUSBAND CM PUNK WHO’S IN THE BEST SHAPE OF HIS LIFE

Benard brought up the love of AJ’s life, WWE superstar CM Punk. She explained how continually impressed by him she is, and its important to be a supportive spouse. “He’s in the best shape of his life right now and was just champion for most of the year. I am his wife, so I am a little like biased, but objectively, he had one of the greatest WrestleMania matches of all time (against Roman Reigns).I’m so impressed with how he’s able to push himself and just be the best athlete he can be.  He reaches for the moon every time, but it’s amazing. He’s such a good wrestler and I know he can do anything he sets his mind too.”

MORE PROJECTS IN THE WORKS

Coming up, while you may not see her on weekly editions of Monday Night Raw, Lee clarified her immediate future, “I spent the last eight months on Monday Night Raw on Netflix. I am going to be doing WWE Unreal the documentary series also for Netflix,. I’m still writing and producing. I have a production company called Scrappy Heart Productions, and our goal is  make underdogs the stars of their own stories. Right now, we are producing our first feature film and the short film version of it. We have a bunch of other projects in the works that we love and we’re so passionate about including comic books. We’re working hard on that one. So, it’s all different parts of the same muscle (for me). It’s all about telling and creating stories.”

You can watch AJ’s chat with Maurice Benard on State of Mind below.

Now, let us know, do you miss AJ after her 8 month comeback in the WWE? What did you think about what she shared on how the WWE higher-ups protected her mental health as best as possible? Are you a fan of CM Punk and AJ as a duo? Does AJ’s journey and story compel you to also check and look after your own mental health? Weigh-in via the comment section below.

WWE delivered in its follow-up to WrestleMania 42 with its PLE Backlash 2026 emanating from the Benchmark International Arena in Tampa in front of a red-hot crowd who was fully invested in all of the matches on the card. And, if the rumors are true, that WWE parent company, TKO, is going young, they certainly put over their younger superstars in a major way on the Saturday, May 9 event.

In the end, Roman Reigns cheated to get the edge on Jacob Fatu to retain the WWE World Heavyweight Championship, but in the wake of that move, Fatu went ballistic and attacked the OTC. Iyo Sky and Asuka set the bar for the best match of the night, where in its aftermath, it appears an emotional Asuka says goodbye, or goodbye for now, to the WWE Universe.

Bron Breakker got the biggest win of his career defeating Seth Rollins; which left questions about Rollins’ future, which he addressed at the WWE Backlash Post Show, John Cena’s got a new tournament and title named after him, and Danhausen is proving to be so over with the crowd, no matter what he does. Now comes the build towards August’s two night SummerSlam where the journey to it begins from here. With that, here are Michael Fairman TV’s top five takeaways from Backlash.

Courtesy/WWE

1. ROMAN, WE HAVE A PROBLEM

The Roman Reigns vs. Jacob Fatu match was a gem. Throughout it, the crowd was often split on who they were rooting for. It was also unclear who was the babyface and who was the heel. Fatu was clearly about to put Reigns down, when the wily OTC pulled the ref into the melee which allowed him to reach over and grab the turnbuckle, exposing the steel ring post. Next, he shoves Jacob head first into it and secured the pin.

However, afterwards, Fatu loses it and continues to attack and attack Reigns, as officials try to get him out of the ring. He even attacks RAW GM, Adam Pearce. When the smoke cleared, Fatu screamed to the camera, this isn’t over, while Reigns said that Fatu will never get a shot again in the title (in so many words).

Fatu came away as a genuine threat to the Tribal Chief. Questions to be answered: Will there be a rematch at Clash in Italy in a few weeks? Does Reigns cheating to win fully bring him back to the full on heel he was for the four years he and the Bloodline ran down the competition in the WWE? Stay tuned.

MATCH GRADE: A

Photo: WWE

2. BRON BREAKKER IN THE TITLE PICTURE

The opening match which was part of the free first hour of Backlash on ESPN, kicked-off with The Vision’s Bron Breakker vs former Vision leader, Seth Rollins. In the back-story, after Rollins needed shoulder surgery, he had to relinquish the WWE World Heavyweight Championship currently held by his former Shield partner, Roman Reigns. The Vision attacked their leader with Breakker putting down Rollins, to facilitate Rollins’ time off-screen for surgery.

Now, with Rollins back as the babyface and Breakker the full on heel, the two went at it in a great match bell-to-bell. However with Breakker getting the clean pin, it’s clear they are pushing the guy to top status. Will Bron and manager, Paul Heyman stay with the rest of The Vision (Logan Paul, Austin Theory and the injured Bronson Reed) or will they break off into their own 1-2 punch for a world title?

As for Seth, in the post show interview, he indicated he has to get back to the drawing board and retool himself as he turns 40 in just a few weeks, and just how he needs to come back stronger. Seth shared he realizes he is not in his prime after so many sidelining injuries. Our take: Maybe Seth was told he needed more time off by the doctors from his shoulder surgery and this paves the way for another break before a full-time return.

MATCH GRADE: A

Photo: WWE

3. THE POETIC GOODBYE FROM ASUKA

Iyo Sky and Asuka provided the WWE universe with an incredible match: rough and tumble, technically excellent, and it told the story of the former mentee of Askua’s taking on her teacher and the passing of the torch, if you will.

All of this against the backdrop of chants for Kairi Saine, who many believed, even though she was recently released by the WWE, would show back up in in this match-up and double-cross Asuka. But, sadly, Saine appears to be truly gone.

In the end, Sky was victorious, but it was the emotional embrace after the match that felt like a turning point for Asuka. Then in a follow-up post, Ivo Sky gave thanks to Asuka as she leaves on X and Asuka had a post on Instagram set to Frank Sinatra’s “My Way.”

Sky wrote: “Our story comes to its final chapter with today’s match. The moment the match ended, my heart was filled with all sorts of emotions. Meeting ASUKA-san, Spending the same time together, Being able to learn so much up close— These are irreplaceable treasures to me. Thank you so much ASUKA-San.”

Reports on Sunday, say Asuka is leaving for “personal reasons” that are not being divulged, but she will be ‘semi-retired.” Asuka is 44 years old, but will she be back one more time before hanging up her boots? We shall see.

MATCH GRADE: A+

Photo: WWE

4. JOHN CENA THE GIFT THAT KEEPS ON GIVING

John Cena returned to a WWE ring just one month after hosting WrestleMania. This time, Cena was in Tampa,where he lives, so it was not too big of a stretch for the G.O.A.T to make an appearance.

The 17-time champion revealed that there will be John Cena Classic; an evening where NXT talent will wrestle more established WWE talent for the chance to win a new championship. And that’s not all! The fans will vote that night of who should be crowned the inaugural champion, which Cena says will become a yearly event.

The way it was presented by Cena, left us a bit confused: Is the title called the “John Cena Classic Championship?” Is it something to be defended throughout the year on WWE and NXT programming and PLE’s? Will it mean anything in the end, or will it elevate the talent the WWE universe wants to see get a push on the main roster? Please fill in the blanks WWE and or Cena!

ANNOUNCEMENT GRADE: B

Photo: WWE

5. DANHAUSEN AND MINHAUSEN

Right now, Danhausen can do no wrong in the WWE. Since his arrival, the organization has put him to good use and it’s clear the WWE writing team is having a field day with him!

The major mystery going into Backlash was …. who will be Danhausen’s partner when he was offering $400 of human monies to team with him against The Miz and Kit Wilson. When the time came to unveil who was in the crate that would be his partner, out came a mini version of himself called Minihausen who would go on to team with him in the ring. Later, more minhausens appeared as the old school attitude-era type gimmick went full tilt.

While this was not the payoff we were hoping for; the gimmick seemed to go over with the fans. The question is, will the WWE go way back to the style of yore when Vince McMahon would pull something like this, couple that with the Gingerbread Man funeral on Friday Night SmackDown, or will it cool off? Whatever the case, Danhausen is here to stay and we are here for it!

MATCH GRADE: B+

Photo: WWE

HONORABLE MENTION: Lil’ Yachty

The Trick Williams vs. Sami Zayn rematch for the United States Championship was a much better match than last month at WrestleMania 42. Williams went in with the title belt and left with the belt, as Zayn’s world continues to crumble and his heel run looks firmly cemented. The WWE universe wants to “boo” Sami and cheer Trick!

However, it should be noted, rapper Lil’ Yachty, who has been in Trick’s corner, is one of the better celebrities who gets into the melee and makes it look believable! He’s taken shots and delivered come Candy Cane kendo stick blows to Zane in this one. He’s a keeper!

MATCH GRADE: B

So, what did you think of WWE Backlash 2026? What were your favorite moments of the night? Weigh-in via the comment section, but first check out some of the highlights below. Followed by the Michael Fairman Channel’s special WWE Backlash watchalong episode that was live on What’s Up? Wrestling.

Over the weekend, the hot topic in professional wrestling was that The New Day, comprised of longtime WWE superstars, Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods (real name Austin Creed) have exited the company. Their exit came after WWE released a list of several other notable names on their roster the week prior.

However, Kingston and Woods departure was reported to not be that they were released. Instead, although they had both signed long-term deals in 2025 set to expire in 2030, TKO, the parent company of WWE, asked the duo to restructure their contacts for a reduced payroll. That move, caused them to bolt from the company where for the last 12 years they were one of the preeminent tag teams on WWE.

Kingston joined WWE in 2006 and Woods joined the promotion four years later in a development deal. They were paired with Big E. in 2014 and formed “power of positivity” which was rejected by the fans which turned them into heels, and later became “The New Day.” Fast-forward to 2022, and after Big E suffered a career-ending neck injury, Woods and Kingston continued as a tag team which saw them go from babyfaces to heels. Kofi Kingston, also won the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 36 becoming the first African-born champion in the company history.

Photo: WWE

On Monday, May 4, Kingston and Woods separately took to their social media accounts on Instagram and shared their thoughts, thank you’s, wisdom and more on their exit from the WWE and what the future may hold.

Kofi Kingston expressed, “It’s taken me two full days to respond to all my texts. I hadn’t been on social media until today and I’m overwhelmed by all the messages here too. So much love. So I can’t help but to be filled completely with gratitude… My story has been nothing short of remarkable and I am truly blessed to have had such an illustrious, accolade-laden and, most importantly, fun-filled career. I made my childhood dream become the most wonderful reality.”

Kingston continued, “Throughout this journey, I’m so thankful to have been surrounded by great friends and to have built so many unbreakable connections with people that I’m very proud to call my family. Most people go through life without ever experiencing a love like I have for Woods and E. That bond alone would have made this whole experience worth it. There are far too many people to mention by name here, but to everyone who has ever supported me, guided me, helped me, taught me, cheered for me, praised me, stood up for me, and even rooted against me: Thank you. I appreciate you more than words can say.”

As he concluded his post, Kofi explained, “My main mission has always been a simple one: To provide a comfortable life filled with heartwarming memories for my family. And, largely in part to all of you, I can proudly say that I have achieved that goal and more. This wasn’t supposed to be a novel, so let me wind it down with some advice: Do your best to live a life without regrets, control what you can control, always give it your all, and fight hard for what you believe in. Do not ever compromise or accept less than your due when it comes to your worth. Find the courage to believe in yourself and fearlessly pursue your goals and dreams, because anything is possible. The kid that was too small, short, skinny, and scrawny was never supposed to make it in this land of giants…yet here we are. And so… …as the sun sets on one chapter, so too must it rise in another. Tomorrow is indeed…a New Day.”

Photo: WWE

Xavier Woods shared, “For the past 16 years, WWE has been my home. It’s where I grew up, found myself, failed, learned, and got to live out things the younger version of me could only dream about. When I first walked into FCW, I just wanted a chance to prove I belonged and to bring something different to professional wrestling. That chance became a life full of moments I’ll carry with me forever — WrestleMania, championships, King of the Ring, arenas around the world, and the gift of connecting with all of you by being myself. The New Day gave me a bond with Kofi Kingston and Big E. that I’ll cherish for life. You believed in us, even when our ideas were wild, and because of that, we got to show people that being unapologetically yourself is a strength. UpUpDownDown became another piece of that same mission: a place for joy, friendship, and humanity.”

He continued, “I’m so thankful to everyone, past and present, who helped build it brick by brick. To the locker room, producers, trainers, crew, camera teams, ring crew, everyone behind the scenes, and the props department – thank you. WWE has the most special and hardest working props department that youll ever find. Love you guys and none of this happens without you. And to everyone who has been part of this ride: thank you for believing in me. Thank you for letting me be Xavier Woods. Thank you for giving me the confidence… to walk away as Austin Creed.”

So, are you heartbroken to see the New Day leave WWE? What did you think of their goodbye posts? Do you want to see them land in AEW, TNA, or New Japan? Weigh-in via the comment section.

It’s taken me two full days to respond to all my texts. I hadn’t been on social media until today and I’m overwhelmed by all the messages here too. So much love.

So I can’t help but to be filled completely with gratitude…

My story has been nothing short of remarkable and I am… pic.twitter.com/Tw7ZTpg9Q3

— Kofi Kingston (@TrueKofi) May 4, 2026

It’s taken me two full days to respond to all my texts. I hadn’t been on social media until today and I’m overwhelmed by all the messages here too. So much love.

So I can’t help but to be filled completely with gratitude…

My story has been nothing short of remarkable and I am… pic.twitter.com/Tw7ZTpg9Q3

— Kofi Kingston (@TrueKofi) May 4, 2026