Add as a preferred source on Google Jeff Cobb said he expected to use his real name in WWE, especially after Michael Cole identified him as Jeff Cobb on commentary during his Backlash 2025 debut.
Speaking on the Instinct Culture podcast, the former MFT member said he did not understand why WWE changed his name to JC Mateo on the following episode of SmackDown.
“I thought I was going to be Jeff Cobb because Michael Cole called me that. ‘If you called me Jeff Cobb for the whole world to hear, and next week it’s a random change, that’s a little weird.’ I don’t understand it. I get they want to control everything. You can use my name, that’s totally fine. I don’t mind. In fact, use my name. I tried so hard. The week leading up to Backlash, I was like, ‘My name is Jeff. Cobb is gonna kill you.’ They didn’t want to go with that. I get it, but I don’t understand why they said it on commentary, but the next week it was totally different. It’s whatever.”
On that SmackDown, Solo Sikoa introduced Cobb as JC Mateo before he defeated LA Knight in his WWE in-ring debut. Looking back on his run, Cobb also said he wanted more chances to wrestle and cut promos.
“I don’t want to sound like a bitter ex-employee. Could I have done more? Yes. Could they have given me more stuff to do? Yes. At the same time, ‘maximize your minutes.’ I tried to do that. The first couple of months, I was more, ‘Yes, whatever you want from me.’ The last couple of months I was like, ‘Can I do more? Can I talk more?’ If I don’t show my personality, then I’m just Bodyguard #2. I wanted to do more, wrestle more. That’s what you signed me for, based off my wrestling. New Japan, we don’t do too much character stuff or vignettes. ‘You hired me for wrestling. Let me wrestle. Put me on Main Event. Put me in dark matches.’ ‘We’ll see.’”
Cobb made his final WWE appearance on the April 24 SmackDown, the first episode after WrestleMania 42. He and Tama Tonga unsuccessfully challenged Damian Priest and R-Truth for the WWE Tag Team Titles.
His WWE departure was confirmed eight days later.