What is being said about the future of JC Mateo (Jeff Cobb) after leaving WWE

JC Mateo (Jeff Cobb) was among several WWE departures announced on April 24th 2026. Cobb was backstage at Dontaku, and according to Dave Meltzer of F4WOnline.com, there is still a belief that he has a future in Japan. However, unless WWE grants him special dispensation, he would not be eligible to return in time for the G1 if he signs there, as his non-compete clause reportedly does not expire until July 24th.

Meltzer stated the following…

“We don’t know if that is what he’ll do. New Japan has its own financial issues. It wouldn’t surprise me if AEW picked up Cobb, but the reality is his chances of going to AEW as a star were much higher one year ago. WWE often enhances someone’s value, but Cobb would not be one of those people.”