Grab your drinks and pull up a chair, because WWE just dropped the weirdest news of the summer. On July 14, 2026, the company announced an official partnership with the vertical video app ReelShort to produce a live-action microdrama series. Yes, you read that correctly.
They are putting Drew McIntyre, Joe Hendry, and Jacob Fatu into mobile-first soap operas. The episodes will run under three minutes and feature vertical formatting designed specifically for your phone. Production starts in August 2026, with the premiere slated for early fall.
A three-minute soap opera starring your favorite wrestlers
As reported by Wrestling Inc, this new project is a massive pivot from traditional programming. WWE is sending some of its biggest stars to a platform known for dramatic cliffhangers and highly exaggerated acting. Joining the WWE roster are ReelShort actors Marc Herrmann and Chase Mattson.
If you have ever scrolled through social media and gotten sucked into a vertical drama about a secret billionaire, you know the vibe. WWE is attempting to inject professional wrestling directly into that viral formula. It is a bold, bizarre, and potentially hilarious experiment.
The company wants to capture a younger, mobile-first audience that lacks the patience for a three-hour episode of Monday Night Raw. Instead of building feuds over months, they want to hook viewers in ninety seconds. It is a massive departure from standard wrestling television.
The internet wrestling community is already melting down
Naturally, the internet wrestling community has reacted with its usual calm and measured grace. Just kidding, the forums are absolute chaos. A significant portion of fans are expressing pure embarrassment over the announcement.
On Reddit, posters are asking why a former world champion like Drew McIntyre is doing vertical dramas. One user wrote that they could not believe Drew is going from main-eventing major stadium shows to filming TikTok-style dramas. He spent the last year carrying Raw on his back with his legendary feud against CM Punk, hitting Claymores and cutting passionate promos.
Many skeptics are calling this a major step backward for the talent involved. They argue that putting Drew McIntyre and Jacob Fatu in cheap-looking vertical videos hurts their credibility as destructive monsters. It is hard to fear the Scottish Psychopath when he is starring in the digital equivalent of a trashy daytime soap.
A few fans even compared the move to WWE's worst crossover attempts of the past. One forum poster brought up the infamous zombie match at WrestleMania Backlash in 2021 as a warning sign. Nobody wants to see Jacob Fatu, who has been booked as an unstoppable force in the Bloodline, reduced to a cheesy romantic lead.
The contrarians are pointing out the cheap production values that define ReelShort. The platform is famous for bad lighting, wooden acting, and plots that make zero sense. WWE fans are worried that the final product will look incredibly amateurish.
Say his name and he appears on your vertical screen
On the other side of the bar, the Joe Hendry believers are celebrating. Hendry is the absolute king of digital comedy. He built his career on the UK independent scene by making hilarious music videos that mocked his opponents.
In fact, Hendry has a history of tormenting Drew McIntyre on the Scottish indie circuit. Back in ICW, Hendry wrote custom parody songs to get under Drew's skin. The two have great chemistry that works perfectly in a comedic format.
For Hendry, this project is a natural extension of his NXT run. His entire gimmick is built on memes, crowd participation, and viral internet moments. He knows exactly how to work this format.
Supporters argue that wrestling has always been a soap opera at its core. We watch athletes resolve personal disputes through violence. Adding literal melodrama with high-stakes cliffhangers is a perfect fit.
Fans are also pointing to Jacob Fatu's inclusion. The visual of Fatu, a terrifying force of nature, acting in a melodramatic romance script is comedic gold. It is the exact type of campy entertainment that fans love.
Here is the bizarre cast list we never expected to see:
- Drew McIntyre, the former World Heavyweight Champion
- Joe Hendry, NXT's viral sensation
- Jacob Fatu, the terrifying muscle of the Bloodline
The Samoan Werewolf meets the soap opera directors
Jacob Fatu's involvement is easily the most head-scratching part. Fatu is currently presented on television as a terrifying force who runs through opponents like a freight train with Samoan Drops and moonsaults. Seeing him interact with ReelShort actors is going to be surreal.
Imagine Fatu standing in a kitchen delivering dramatic dialogue about a secret romance. The contrast between his animalistic ring style and a scripted vertical drama is hilarious. Some fans are already predicting comedy gold.
Others are terrified that this will ruin his mystique. The Bloodline needs to remain intimidating to work as the top heel faction. If Fatu is seen crying on a phone screen, that aura vanishes instantly.
The Scottish history you probably forgot
For newer fans who only know Joe Hendry from NXT, the pairing with Drew McIntyre might seem random. But these Scottish heavyweights have a long history together. They wrestled on the UK indie circuit long before Drew returned to WWE as a main eventer.
Hendry was notorious for making parody music videos targeting his rivals in Insane Championship Wrestling. He even targeted Drew with a legendary video that forced Drew to break character in the ring. They know exactly how to work together.
That prior chemistry is the secret weapon of this project. Drew is an underrated comedic actor, and Hendry is a natural showman. If WWE lets them lean into their Scottish roots, this could actually be entertaining.
The corporate machine is always cooking
Since TKO bought WWE, we have seen some weird marketing tie-ins. We had Prime logos on the ring mat, and now vertical dramas on mobile apps. The company is leaving no stone unturned for monetization.
Hardcore fans will complain about the death of kayfabe. But from a business perspective, this is a low-risk gamble with a potential payout. ReelShort has millions of users who might get hooked on WWE.
Wrestling has always survived by adapting to new media. From territory TV to pay-per-view, the sport follows the audience. The audience is on vertical video apps, so WWE is following them.
The verdict: Is this a cheap gimmick or a stroke of genius?
Let us look at the reality of this deal. The skeptics have a valid point. If the writing is too lazy, it could easily turn into a joke that hurts television characters.
Drew McIntyre is currently one of the top stars in the business. He should be focused on championships, not filming short videos for an app known for cheap romance. There is a real danger of watering down his brand, especially when details of the microdrama series indicate it is a major priority for WWE's digital division.
However, the enthusiastic fans are probably right about the final impact. It is highly unlikely that this microdrama will affect WWE's main storylines. It is a standalone marketing project designed to reach a new demographic.
TKO is obsessed with finding new revenue streams. They want to put their brand in front of eyes that would never normally tune into a wrestling show. ReelShort offers a direct line to mobile viewers.
In the end, this is just a low-stakes experiment. If it fails, everyone will forget about it in a week. If it succeeds, WWE has found a brand new way to market its characters.
