Michael Hayes is finally addressing the fallout from his controversial comments about Chelsea Green on WWE Unreal \u2014 and he insists the full story wasn\u2019t shown.<\/p>\n
After Green publicly admitted she was hurt by hearing her perceived \u201cceiling\u201d discussed on a Netflix platform<\/a>, Hayes broke his silence on the February 25, 2026 episode of the Six Feet Under podcast<\/a>. According to Hayes, the portrayal left out crucial context. He began by claiming that his praise for Green was edited out entirely.<\/p>\n \u201cNow, I\u2019ve talked to Netflix about this because when we did that interview \u2014 and I recall this specifically \u2014 when we started the interview, the first thing I said was, \u2018Chelsea is as good, as talented, and as entertaining as anyone we have.\u2019 But of course, that never saw the light of day. It was left on the cutting room floor because if you\u2019re going to make me a heel, the best way to do it is to say she\u2019s not good enough. That\u2019s not what I was saying.\u201d<\/p>\n Hayes made it clear he doesn\u2019t regret what aired \u2014 but he insists his comments were about her current role, not her ability. He then pointed to past examples where WWE pivoted when fan support forced the company\u2019s hand.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t regret what I said because her role at the time \u2014 and even right now \u2014 is not the top role. It\u2019s to help make other people. And as you know, we\u2019re always only as good as the people who help make us. Now, with that said, if Chelsea caught fire because of the following and support she has, we\u2019d go with that in a heartbeat. Look at Daniel Bryan. Look at Kofi Kingston. When they caught fire, we went with it \u2014 whether some people at the top agreed or not, we went with it.\u201d<\/p>\n But Hayes doesn\u2019t believe that moment has arrived for Green \u2014 at least not yet. He also shared his philosophy on organic fan support, suggesting that part of Green\u2019s appeal is that she feels underdog and self-made.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re not there with Chelsea. And I feel that the people who support Chelsea now \u2014 if we started pushing her \u2014 they\u2019d fade, because she\u2019d be getting the push from the machine. And if she\u2019s getting the push from the machine, then she doesn\u2019t need my help. Intricately, I feel that fans love it when they know their support makes a difference and can change a career. Chelsea is amazingly talented and entertaining. She can handle anything. But that\u2019s the role she\u2019s in right now \u2014 and not necessarily her fault. To her credit, she knows her role, and she plays it with a smile.\u201d<\/p>\n Hayes didn\u2019t deny that Green could be doing more. He closed by reiterating his belief that pushing Green too aggressively could backfire.<\/p>\n \u201cI agree she is underutilized. I spoke what I felt to be the truth. Not all of what I said was put out there. People have hated me since the beginning of time, and if you ask me a question, I\u2019ll tell you the truth. I still feel that if we get behind her, it hurts the bit of a rebel push that she gets.\u201d<\/p>\n This definitely reframes the situation. Rather than walking back his stance, Hayes is arguing that context was lost in editing \u2014 and that his comments were about creative positioning, not talent. Whether fans buy that explanation is another story.<\/p>\n Do you think Michael Hayes\u2019 clarification changes how you view the original comments, or does it raise even more questions about Chelsea Green\u2019s spot in WWE? Sound off below.<\/p>\n