Update on Jade Cargill’s Backstage Heat Issues & Incident with Shayna Baszler

As noted before, Jade Cargill was dealing with backstage heat prior to recent absence from WWE over issues related to a backstage incident with Shayna Baszler. Cargill had generated more heat following her return at the Elimination Chamber 2025 event earlier this month over a video she had posted online calling the women’s locker room “full of wolves in sheep’s clothing.”

Dave Meltzer reported in this week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter that his sources provided additional details regarding Cargill’s backstage heat issues within WWE.

In regards to the incident with Baszler, Meltzer reported that a clip being spread online of Baszler having Cargill in a choke and Cargill tapping out during a match was not a receipt or the cause of the incident in question and instead that was a planned spot. Meltzer reported that had Baszler applied a real choke during a title match in WWE that made a star tapped that was not planned, that person would have been fired. Meltzer also reported that Cargill’s tapping was an angle that was meant to lead in a direction for their feud that ended up being dropped for reasons currently not known.

In regards to the in-ring issues between Cargill and Baszler, Meltzer reported that while there had been problems in the ring with some involving botched spots during the Baszler & Zoey Stark vs. Cargill & Bianca Belair matches, those spoken to stated that none of it would be a problem due to botched spots happen with everyone. Those spoken to reportedly stated that everyone understood that because of her look and AEW fame, Cargill was going to be pushed heavily and was inexperience at doing back-and-forth matches.

Meltzer reported that the real cause for the backstage heat over this situation was due to claims by other women talents about whenever there were problems in the ring, Cargill would blame the other person and was disrespectful towards them.

Meltzer also reported that those spoken to confirmed one incident involving Cargill telling Baszler that she did not know how to work which didn’t endear her to anyone. This incident reportedly was caused by Cargill pointing to a bruise on her arm and telling Baszler that she needed to learn how to work. Baszler reportedly had responded back telling Cargill that if she was shooting that they both would know it.

Meltzer also reported that after Cargill blamed others for problems in her matches, Baszler came up to her and confronted her backstage about it. This reportedly did not make things better and instead one person spoken to stated that Cargill got into Baszler’s face while Baszler was not going to back down. Meltzer reported that other talent had witnessed this incident and both them and management diffused the situation and got Baszler and Cargill away from each other. Melzter also reported that nothing else of significance happened between Cargill and Baszler after that incident.

In regards to Cargill asking and being granted time off for the holiday tour while others were told it was mandatory to work for them, Meltzer reported that this issue revolved around Cargill simply not understanding that WWE in the past had considered that the major tour of the year. Cargill reportedly did not know that and came from AEW and current era WWE where television and pay-per-view shows are important and house shows are not.

In regards to issues over Cargill’s injury situation and her absence from WWE, Meltzer reported that the source of the belief that Cargill’s injury was not real was due to her working in a Mountain Dew commercial during her time away. This reportedly led to some talent believing that she was not actually injured. This belief reportedly was shared by others within WWE until they found out later that she was legit injured.