WWE
WWE performer Fallon Henley has highlighted a growing generational disconnect in professional wrestling, arguing that the industry’s shift toward a faster, high-output style risks causing younger talent to overlook the subtle details that defined previous eras.
During an appearance on Cody Rhodes’ What Do You Wanna Talk About? podcast, Henley reflected on training sessions at the WWE Performance Center led by Terry Taylor, where archival footage was used as a teaching tool. She noted that while the evolution of the sport is undeniable, the relentless tempo of the current product—particularly in NXT—can obscure foundational lessons.
“It’s just different, it’s just evolved. We watched stuff in Terry (Taylor)’s class, he’d pull up old clips and stuff, and it’s different yes, but there’s always something you can take from it, and I think sometimes newer people coming in can’t necessarily see it,” Henley explained. “Because now everything is so fast, especially in NXT, everything is go, go, go, so much is happening, but there’s still so much you can take because the devil’s in the details, and a lot of the old stuff has a lot of those details that we might pass over or maybe don’t think about going into a match. So I think no matter what kind of style or era, there’s always something you can take from it.”
Henley Praises Lainey Reid’s Adaptability
The discussion comes as Henley’s faction, Fatal Influence, transitions to the main roster following WrestleMania 42. The move elevates Jacy Jayne and Henley—who share a decade-long history dating back to their initial training—as well as relative newcomer Lainey Reid, who debuted on NXT television less than a year ago.
Henley credited the group’s cohesion to their differing experience levels and Reid’s capacity for rapid growth.
“If you’re gonna make that big of a move, you have to make a statement and that’s what we did. Jacy and I started training together, what 10 years ago at this point, at the same place. So we’ve known each other our entire careers, so that helps in us being a unit and working together and being cohesive,” Henley said. “And we brought Lainey in and she’s just a sponge, she’s always learning, she’s always listening and she takes what we say and she uses it, and all together we’re all our different selves, our individual selves but we all just work so well together. Clearly, you can see.”
