WWE Rumors on Backstage Morale amid Vince McMahon's Return, Jay White and New Signing

Bleacher Report catches you up on the latest news from the WWE Universe.

WWE Talent Reportedly Feeling Uneasy Over McMahon's Return

Morale among WWE Superstars is reportedly on shaky ground following the return of Vince McMahon to the company last week.

According to PWInsider.com's Mike Johnson, there is "far more of a worry and a feeling of unease" among WWE talent with McMahon back in the fold than there was when he retired in July and was replaced by Triple H as head of creative and Stephanie McMahon as chairwoman and co-CEO.

Despite McMahon failing to properly report millions of dollars in "hush money" he paid to multiple women in exchange for their silence regarding sexual relationships with him, as well as allegations of sexual misconduct against him, McMahon was able to force his way back onto the board due to being WWE's majority shareholder.

He was also unanimously voted in as chairman of the board on Tuesday, while Stephanie resigned from her co-CEO role, making Nick Khan the sole CEO.

Fightful Select (h/t H Jenkins of Ringside News) reported that multiple WWE Superstars expressed confusion over what the changes to the company will mean for them.

Prior to McMahon's official return, Lauren Thomas of the Wall Street Journal reported McMahon was planning to return in order to play a role in exploring the possibility of a sale of the company.

CNBC's Alex Sherman later reported that WWE hired investment banking company JPMorgan to serve as an adviser during sales talks. Sherman also noted that if a sale happens, it would likely occur within the next three to six months, which is the same timeline during which television rights negotiations are expected to take place, as WWE's current deals run through 2024.

There is currently a great deal of uncertainty within WWE since it is unclear if McMahon is merely back to focus on big-picture issues, or if he could potentially attempt to return to the creative side of things.

WWE made tons of roster cuts in recent years with McMahon running the show, but several performers who were released under McMahon were re-signed during Triple H's tenure as head of creative.

Johnson noted that most WWE talent has been far more happy and comfortable with Triple H holding the creative reins, and while every indication right now is that he will remain in that role, the future is cloudy, especially if a sale occurs.

WWE Reportedly Confident in Signing Jay White

Amid rumors of Jay White leaving New Japan Pro-Wrestling and signing with an American wrestling promotion, WWE reportedly likes its chances of landing the two-time IWGP world champion.

According to Fightful Select (h/t Jenkins), White is garnering interest from both WWE and AEW, but sources within WWE are "confident" he will ultimately choose to sign with WWE.

Fightful also reported that while White's contract is up "relatively soon," other promotions can't officially engage in contract talks with him until his NJPW deal lapses.

White is scheduled to face Hikuleo in a Loser Leaves Japan match at NJPW The New Beginning on Feb. 11, and that stipulation could be a sign that White's contract is up some time in February.

The 30-year-old White has wrestled for New Japan since 2015, and during that time he has cemented himself as one of the company's top stars.

In addition to two world title reigns, White is a one-time IWGP intercontinental champion, one-time IWGP United States heavyweight champion and one-time NEVER openweight champion.

The New Zealand native is widely regarded as one of the best in-ring performers in the world, and from an all-around perspective, an argument can be made for him being the top talent not currently signed to a WWE or AEW deal.

White has made a few appearances for AEW due to its working relationship with NJPW, so while that could give AEW a bit of an edge in negotiations, WWE can offer White an even bigger platform to perform on.

WWE Reportedly Signs Karl Fredericks to NXT Brand

WWE is reportedly continuing to beef up its NXT roster with the signing of former NJPW star Karl Fredericks.

According to Johnson, Fredericks' New Japan contract expired in August, and he has since signed with WWE and reported to the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida.

Fredericks is WWE's second major NXT-related signing in the past few weeks, as former NJPW, Ring of Honor, CMLL and AAA star Dragon Lee signed with the company last month.

The 32-year-old Fredericks joined New Japan in 2018 as part of the LA Dojo, and while he did wrestle some in Japan, most of his work occurred in the United States, most recently as part of NJPW Strong.

Around the time Triple H stepped away from WWE in the summer of 2021 to deal with a heart condition, NXT changed from a brand littered with stars from the independent scene to more of a developmental brand focused on wrestlers with limited experience.

Now that Triple H is back and in charge of WWE creative as a whole, NXT may be evolving again into a mix of indie talent and brand-new talent.

Given his experience level, Fredericks could be a major asset to NXT, and he could play a big role in helping newer wrestlers pick up the sport faster.

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