WWE News and update: Jade Cargill Wrestling father and mentor Mark Henry is gone

— Tonight’s WWE Smackdown expands to three hours and below are some news and notes for the show.

• As noted yesterday, WWE Executive Bruce Prichard was expected back on the road this week and he has been spotted in Phoenix – the site of tonight’s Smackdown – so that would confirm that he is back with WWE in his regular role. Prichard had taken time off to deal with a family issue.
• NXT head trainer Matt Bloom is also backstage at Smackdown though that isn’t necessarily a surprise as Bloom has been at multiple WWE TVs as of late.
• WWE’s commentating team for tonight is scheduled to be Michael Cole and Corey Graves.
• As reported earlier, Lilian Garcia has been moved from WWE Raw and will be handling the ring announcing duties for tonight’s show.
• With WWE expanding Smackdown to three hours, there are reportedly far more producers than usual at tonight’s Smackdown and it is expected that will be the norm moving forward as long as Smackdown remains at three hours.
• In an update on Smackdown superstar AJ Styles, he has not been spotted in Phoenix and would presumably still be nursing a foot injury.
• Meanwhile, another WWE Smackdown superstar – Jade Cargill – who has been the subject of conflicting reports on whether she is legitimately injured or not, spent the holidays in Hawaii with her family.

• I was tall, and I was very muscular for my age. I didn’t think I was the prettiest girl growing up — I guess because I wasn’t one of those dainty girls who’d get all the attention. I learned to get over it, but I was always aware of it. Whenever the other kids were messing around, I’d try to stay out the way. I didn’t want anyone talking about my body, and I knew that when it was my turn to be the butt of the joke, that’s what they would resort to. Like, manly looking ass or whatever.

  In middle school, my friends all started getting love letters and that kind of stuff, but I didn’t have that. I remember I would always complain to my grandmother, who I was really close with. Oh my gosh, nobody likes me. My grandma’s name was Bernice Salmon — like the fish. When I was growing up, she was my rock. My mom was as well, but my grandmother?? Our bond was different. We were very in tune. And when she would catch me getting down about boys and relationships, she’d say the same thing every time: “You don’t need all that.”

  I mean, this was middle school, so everybody’s making a big deal about how they’re “in love.” Passing notes and stuff like that. And if you’re not getting any of those notes it can feel bad. My grandmother, though, she was just like, “Laugh at it.” She had a way of making it all seem so ridiculous. She’d tell me, “You have a place to go in life — and if these little boys don’t find you attractive then that’s their fault. You need to be in a relationship with basketball and school. That’s it.”