Select Portion: Raw Backstage News, Jarrett, WrestleQuest, Hiring Freeze

- Bobby Roode is expected backstage in Minneapolis to do work as a producer. He wasn't on Summerslam run sheets, and is likely shadowing.

- Nick Aldis is to be backstage as a producer at tonight's WWE Raw, according to PWI.

- Fightful spoke to numerous talent and staff After the last week and they claim they hadn't heard anything about rumored cuts to talent throughout this year that was circulated by shoddy sources. Even after the rumors emerged, there wasn't much discussion about it backstage.

- We asked backstage this week about the WWE hiring freeze. Those we spoke to said that it hasn't been official, but it certainly isn't an accident that no main roster wrestlers had been hired since December when the likes of Jay White, Nick Aldis, Mercedes Mone, Trinity and Tama Tonga had been on the market. 

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- For those interested some numbers  from Summerslam and info from our own personal coverage.

- LA Knight's press conference is outperforming everyone's on our Scraps channel, and it's not close. 

- Jimmy Uso betraying Jey Uso is our top viewed short on Youtube. It is dominating all other clips on our TikTok as well. 

- The Uso clip is also a top viewed one on Instagram, but Cody Rhodes being congratulated by Brock Lesnar is close. 

- IYO SKY's cash in was our most successful clip on Twitter, and on Facebook Reels. Her post show presser also dominated when it came to Facebook videos in general. 

Jeff Jarrett and WrestleQuest Notes

WrestleQuest producers/creators Zack Manko and James Deighan along with Jeff Jarrett notes

James says WrestleQuest was their dream game and it’s take four years of development.

Zack wanted to showcase the story and narrative in wrestling. The game not only explores in-ring stuff, but also behind the scenes like betrayals.

Jeff Jarrett got involved a couple years ago after meeting James. Calls WrestleQuest a “love letter” to wrestling and notes the game is very authentic. Was emotionally connected to WrestleQuest from the beginning.

James said Jeff has made sure the game is authentic to wrestling. Talked to various focus groups to make sure the game is wrestlefied as an RPG.

Zack says they wanted the game to appeal to wrestling and RPG fans to make it easy for both fans.

Jarrett’s character model (Double J in WWF) was chosen due to the 90s era being prevalent in the game.

A bigger challenge for the game was incorporating the legendary wrestlers and deciding who they could use and how they could use them.

A sequel is already in the works.

Zack and James says there is a lot of material on the floor for a sequel.

There are various easter eggs that wrestling fans will enjoy.

There will be DLC and add ons after the game is released on August 8.

Jarret was all for Conrad Thompson being in the game because Conrad’s network is a letter to 80s and 90s wrestling, so it fit the game.

Zack studied various promos from Randy Savage, Jake Roberts, Ultimate Warrior and more to incorporate an authentic style into the game.

WrestleQuest is available on August 8.