Report: Lack Of Opposition Within WWE To Working With Stephen A. Smith

While there was plenty of unhappiness within WWE over Pat McAfee's involvement in the build to and at WrestleMania 42, that same unhappiness does not exist when it comes to the company collaborating with ESPN's Stephen A. Smith.

Dave Meltzer has reported on Wrestling Observer Radio that there is "serious talk" within WWE over working with Stephen A. Smith, and a lot of people in the company who were unhappy about Pat McAfee's usage are favourable to the ESPN personality being used.

"We haven't seen anything with Stephen A. Smith yet, although, boy, has that name been talked about, and I know it's serious talk. Put it this way, a lot of the people who were not happy about Pat McAfee, in fact, are favourable to Stephen A. As far as internally, it goes," Meltzer said. 

Stephen A. Smith notably collaborated with WWE in the promotion of WrestleMania 42 on ESPN, with ESPN Unlimited having aired WWE pay-per-views in the United States since Wrestlepalooza in September 2025. This saw Danhausen curse Stephen A. Smith ahead of WrestleMania, while Smith was booed while sitting in the crowd at night one of WrestleMania 42.

A report from WrestleVotes Radio on Fightful Select following WrestleMania noted that ESPN sources were "pleased and enthusiastic" about the prospect of Stephen A. Smith becoming involved with the WWE partnership, and there is an expected payoff to his involvement pitched for summer 2026.

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