WWE: Backstage Update on Countout Finish to Chelsea Green vs. Zelina Vega Match on 4/11 WWE SmackDown Show, Katana Chance on Back Injury & Mental Health Issues Being Reasons for Her WWE Hiatus in 2019, More News

Apr 13, 2025

Backstage Update on Countout Finish to Chelsea Green vs. Zelina Vega Match on April 11th WWE SmackDown Show

This past Friday’s WWE SmackDown show in Seattle, Washington featured Zelina Vega defeating Chelsea Green in a singles match. This match was notable for being very brief in time and the awkward countout finish.

PWInsider’s Mike Johnson reported that his sources stated that the ending to Green’s match with Vega did not go down as originally planned.

Johnson reported that those spoken to within WWE stated that they believed that Green legitimately did not hear the referee’s count as it was getting to ten meaning that the count out was 100% legit. Johnson reported that the referee made it to the end of the count, they had not choice but to call for the finish as a shoot because they couldn’t ignore hitting the ten count on live television.

One person spoken to reportedly stated that they believed when Vega was tossed into the ring, Green likely thought that the referee would start the count anew and began focusing on playing to the announcers and audience. Green likely did not realize that the counting was still ongoing and was caught off guard when the bell had to be called for. This same person reportedly stated that they also believed Green did not hear the referee for why she was not able to get back in the ring in time.

Johnson reported that there was no injury or anything that had forced the early finish and instead this was just simply a case of legitimate miscommunication.

In regards to WWE’s original plans for the match, Johnson reported that the match had been originally scheduled to go for a few minutes longer in length. Johnson also reported that the planned finish likely was for Vega to win anyways in order to setup the Six-Women Tag Team match for next week’s show in Las Vegas.

Johnson reported that there was no backstage heat on anyone involved in the incident and the feeling was it was just one of those that can happen on live television.

Katana Chance Comments on Back Injury & Mental Health Issues Being Reasons for Her WWE Hiatus in 2019

A recent episode of the Ring The Belle podcast featured Katana Chance as the guest. One of the topics discussed included Chance’s thoughts about her hiatus from WWE from the summer of 2019 until January of 2020 and the reasons being due to her dealing with a back injury and mental health issues at the time.

“So, I was dealing with a back injury (in 2019). I remember it was actually right after the (Royal) Rumble so I had done the Rumble, for my very first time — super exciting — something from that match, I had had some sort of bursitis, something in my back. I don’t even remember the real name of it. It was just something dealing with a back issue and then also, I was about almost two years in at that point. It’s really, really tough mentally. Physically, mentally, for me not coming from wrestling, at that time. Right now at the Performance Center, there’s so many different backgrounds. They’re doing so many different things. Back when I started in NXT, it was very rare you didn’t come from wrestling. It was very rare and — oh no. I’m not gonna cry. It’s fine. It was very tough for me coming in, having not come from wrestling, having people, just every day, question why is she here? Why did she get to come here? Does she deserve to be here? Kind of dealing with that on the backend of also just trying to give 150 percent and prove that over and over again so I feel like for me, I feel like I was dealing with a more serious injury than I had had since being there. Mentally, the environment was really getting to me and while I was taking time off for the injury, I was thinking, man, can I do this forever? I hadn’t really broken out yet, I hadn’t really had those moments with the crowd and with wrestling where I really understood why people loved it and I was just kind of in the trenches. You know, at the Performance Center in the trenches and I was like, man, will I get there? Can I find this love for it? Am I gonna be good enough? Maybe I am too small. I’m dealing with these injuries. Am I too small? Am I not big enough? Can I keep up with these people? The doubt was kind of getting to me so I think that when I had that time away for this injury and I was thinking, like, okay, when I come back, do I think that I could do this forever? I think people kind of just ran with it, like, ‘Oh, she’s not coming back, she’s not coming back,’ you know? And it was just kind of like, I wasn’t ready to talk about it. I wasn’t ready to say, yes, I have this injury. I think I’ll be back in a few months. I’m not sure. I was kind of just taking my time to not let any of that get in my head and so, it was tough but, we made it back. So I’m glad.”

Transcript h/t: PostWrestling.com

WWE News & Notes

Saturday’s UFC 314 event in Miami, Florida featured Rhea Ripley among the notable people shown in attendance.

As noted before, The Wyatts Sicks have been absent from WWE since this past December due to Bo Dallas/Uncle Howdy had been dealing with an undisclosed injury but was medically cleared this past March. Besides the Wyatts Sick, Alexa Bliss has also been absent from WWE since this past March and has been pulled from her scheduled appearance at the WWE World fan event this week in Las Vegas. Fightful Select’s Sean Ross Sapp reported in a recent Q&A article that his sources stated that WWE officials still have plans to pair up Bliss and the Wyatt Sicks together. One source spoken to reportedly stated that they believe that the Wyatts Sicks return likely has been held off until after this weekend’s WrestleMania 41 event due to WWE officials current creative plans are already set through that event.

As noted before, Brock Lesnar has been absent from WWE since their SummerSlam 2023 event in August of 2023 due to WWE had dropped all of their plans for Brock Lesnar’s potential return to the company due to his involvement in the on-going Vince McMahon sex trafficking lawsuit. Fightful’s Sean Ross Sapp reported that his sources stated that despite Cody Rhodes name dropping Lesnar during his promo at this past Friday’s WWE SmackDown show, there has not been any talks nor plans within WWE to bring Lesnar back.

In a recent Q&A article, PWInsider’s Mike Johnson reported that his sources stated that the reason why WWE stopped having pre-show matches for their PLEs was due to it being a decision made by WWE Head of Media and Production Lee Fitting. Johnson reported that Fitting and WWE officials wanted to make the pre-shows similar in tone of ESPN College Game Day with more discussion and speculation.

As noted before, WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair recently revealed that he still under contract with AEW and does not believe that he would be able to attend this weekend’s WrestleMania 41 event in Las Vegas, Nevada because of contractual-relates issues. Dave Meltzer reported in this week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter that his sources within AEW stated that Flair’s contract with the company is not very restrictive. Those spoken to reportedly also stated that if Flair wanted to do something with his daughter Charlotte at WWE’s event, then he would be able to do so even while under contract with AEW.

As noted before, a lawsuit was filed against Cody Rhodes, WWE, and Fanatics was filed this past September by punk rock band American Nightmare’s lead singer Wesley Eisold over allegations of trademark infringement and breach of contract regarding Rhodes’ usage of the “American Nightmare” name in wrestling and for merchandise. PWInsider’s Mike Johnson reported that WWE, Fanatics, and Rhodes had requested and were granted a second extension for their time to officially respond to the lawsuit filed against them based on recent court records. Johnson reported that the defendants now have until June 7th to officially respond. Johnson reported that prior to the granted request, the defendants had been originally required to respond on April 7th.

WWE recently revealed the next match in their on-going countdown of their Top 50 matches in WrestleMania history. The 6th spot was the Undisputed WWE Championship Bloodline Rules match of Cody Rhodes vs. Roman Reigns (c) from WrestleMania XL. The 5th spot was the WWE Championship No Disqualification match of Stone Cold Steve Austin vs. The Rock (c) from WrestleMania X-Seven. The 4th spot was the WWE Intercontinental Championship match of Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat vs. “Macho Man” Randy Savage (c) from WrestleMania III.

WWE also recently released two new videos to their WCW Vault channel on YouTube. The first new video was a WCW World Heavyweight Championship #1 Contender Four Corners match of Lex Luger vs. The Giant vs. Booker T vs. Stevie Ray from WCW Spring Stampede 1997. The second new video was a WCW World Heavyweight Championship No Disqualification match of “Macho Man” Randy Savage vs. Sting (c) from WCW Spring Stampede 1998.

WWE also recently released four new videos to their WWE Vault channel on YouTube. The first new video was an Undisputed WWE Championship match of Triple H vs. Chris Jericho (c) from WWE WrestleMania X8. The second new video was a ” March to WrestleMania X – Yokozuna vs. Tatanka, Bret Hart and Lex Luger in action.” The third new video was a Triple Threat match of Randy Orton vs. Cody Rhodes vs. Ted DiBiase Jr. from WWE WrestleMania XXVI. The fourth new video was a singles match of Lawrence Taylor vs. Bam Bam Bigelow from WWE WrestleMania XI.

WWE also recently released three new videos to their NXT Vault channel on YouTube. The first new video was the full August 7, 2014 episode of WWE NXT. The second new video was a singles match of Drew McIntyre vs. Oney Lorcan from the April 12, 2017 episode of WWE NXT. The third new video was the full August 14, 2014 episode of WWE NXT.

In a recent interview with the Toronto Sun, Rhea Ripley gave her thoughts about the current version of Judgement Day in WWE. Ripley stated “Honestly, Judgment Day died when Damian (Priest) and I got turned on. When we got kicked out, they died. They’re not The Judgment Day anymore and I absolutely have no idea what the hell they’re doing.“