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Welcome to this week's edition of WWE/wrestling rumors we hope are true and those we hope aren't. It's been a busy week in the world of wrestling as WWE began the build to Hell in a Cell 2021.
This week's rumors include the potential return of a megastar, a devastating injury for a long-time WWE veteran, backstage notes, Hell in a Cell plans, and more:
#4. Hope is true: WWE's reported plans for John Cena's return
It's been over a year now since we've seen John Cena. In his last WWE run, he returned to feud with 'The Fiend' Bray Wyatt in a rematch from WrestleMania 30.
Cena did what he's done a lot in the last five years - put over a younger or newer superstar. However, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Firefly Fun House match was turned into a cinematic bout.
It was the second of two cinematic bouts at WrestleMania 36, with The Undertaker and AJ Styles' Boneyard match getting more acclaim. The Firefly Fun House match was an entertaining trip down memory lane, and it was praised, but only overshadowed by the Boneyard match one night before.
The chances of John Cena appearing for empty arena shows in the pandemic era seemed slim to none. It's not surprising, especially since WWE quietly let Brock Lesnar run through his contract without utilizing him post-March 2020 and also not re-signing him as they usually do.
Cena is considered to be one of WWE's few megastars, and it should come as no surprise that the reported plan is for him to return in July for the first show with the crowds on July 16th, as per WON.
We hope this is true because there's no better time to bring back John Cena when the crowds return full-time after over 16 months. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to be a case of him returning for a run, but more of him opening the show because he does it best.
#4. Hope isn't true: Controversial backstage figure and the disaster before his WWE release
Former referee Drake Wuertz was released from WWE recently according to Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful.com. This seemed to be an inevitability after he started becoming more public about his controversial political views and activities outside of the ring.
A detailed report from Fightful revealed that Wuertz was told off by WWE on numerous occasions for not wearing a mask and refusing to get vaccinated. He was reportedly eyeing top positions in WWE and was willing to put heat on others to get there.
Not only this, but talent of color went to WWE officials and reported their discomfort with Drake Wuertz and his wording. One interesting note was about how Wuertz reportedly walked out of a meeting with Triple H. Sportskeeda Wrestling's Lennard Surrao wrote:
[Drake] Wuertz garnered the most heat during last year's NXT In Your House show, where Triple H delivered a backstage speech on the Black Lives Matter movement. The crux of the NXT boss's message was that people of all races, religions, and genders are welcomed, and Wuertz's demeanor changed after he heard the word 'religions.' He proceeded to walk out of the meeting. Wuertz 'aggressively gathered his belongings and left' during Triple H's address, and the referee's erratic behavior attracted a lot of attention.
We hope this isn't true because it sounds like a disaster all around. If he did cause as much trouble as he did backstage, then WWE releasing him was the best course of action.
#3. Hope is true: The reason why WWE made the Universal Title match headline WrestleMania Backlash
In WWE and wrestling in general, the first and last match of a pay-per-view can make or break a show. The entire momentum and perception of a pay-per-view depend on these two matches.
At WrestleMania Backlash, WWE had two options for the pay-per-view's main event. Either the WWE Championship Triple Threat match from RAW or the Universal Championship match from SmackDown.
Ultimately, the decision was made for the Universal Title match to go on last, and Bobby Lashley, Drew McIntyre, and Braun Strowman ended up stealing the show in a great match.
Some felt that the WWE Title match should have gone on last, but there's a reason why it didn't - Roman Reigns. According to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, WWE chose to go with Reigns in the main event because they're continuing to build him as their franchise player:
''The original idea was for the three-way for the Raw title to be the main event. The three-way Raw women’s title match wasn’t scheduled to open either. There was a push on the day of the show with the idea that Reigns is the only franchise player on the roster, and as such, he should either go first or last,'' stated Dave Meltzer.
We hope this is true. Despite the WWE Title match being better in quality, there's a better route to push Roman Reigns as a heel, especially with the return of crowds. A more organic build can take place over the next year or two.
#3. Hope isn't true: WWE not putting a superstar in Jinder Mahal's faction
Jinder Mahal's return to WWE is a huge boost for RAW, a brand desperate for top heels. It seems as though the company will go with a more organic rise for the former World Champion, now giving him two new bodyguards in Veer and Shanky.
Veer was a part of the Indus Sher tag team on NXT also involving Saurav Gurjar. However, the latter will reportedly not be joining Mahal's faction, as WWE has deemed him "not ready" for television:
Fightful Select reports that Saurav Gurjar was deemed to not be 'television ready.' Fightful also added that Gurjar had returned to his home in India a while ago. As things stand, WWE has no plans to use Saurav Gurjar on TV anytime soon.
We hope this isn't true because Gurjar would have made a good addition to Jinder Mahal's faction. However, if he isn't "TV-ready" yet, then it probably makes sense for his debut to be delayed.
#2. Hope is true: Backstage reaction to Tamina's first title win in WWE
Tamina recently won the WWE Women's Tag Team Championship with Natalya on SmackDown. It was a huge moment for her, because it meant that it took her 11 long years for her to win her first major title in WWE.
It's rare that superstars go so long without a major title win, but the wait made it all the sweeter for her. According to Dave Meltzer of WON, Tamina and Natalya both received a standing ovation backstage, with the former particularly receiving a lot of praise:
"After the segment aired, many of the wrestlers were backstage giving the two of them a standing ovation, and in particular, people were very happy for Tamina in the company since she's never had a championship, and on social media, it seemed like a lot of talent both in the company and outside the company was very happy for Natalya," stated Dave Meltzer.
We hope this is true because it's good to see more positive moments backstage in WWE.
#2. Hope isn't true: The Miz's WWE status after an injury
The Miz has been in WWE for a long time now, and retirement will cement his legendary status in the company. Not many can have a run as he has, and it's even more special knowing that he hasn't suffered too many injuries.
However, he recently got one injury, and it might be a devastating one. According to Dave Meltzer of WON, The Miz reportedly tore his ACL at WrestleMania Backlash and his WWE status is uncertain:
''Miz was injured in the match," Dave Meltzer said. "We were told it was an ACL injury but it wasn’t clear yet whether it was a partial or complete tear. If it’s the former, the recovery time will be a lot shorter and he won’t necessarily need surgery. A complete tear usually requires surgery which has a six month or more recovery time."
We hope this isn't true, because if it is, 2021 is likely over for The Miz in WWE. He'll only be able to return later this year or early next year, with the latter being much likelier.
#1. Hope is true: WWE Champion Bobby Lashley's Hell in a Cell opponent
Hell in a Cell is a pay-per-view that WWE normally holds in October, but not this year. The company announced that Hell in a Cell would be the June pay-per-view while Money in the Bank would be pushed to July.
The main event will either feature Roman Reigns defending the Univeral Title, or Bobby Lashley defending the WWE Title. The former seems to be more likely at the moment, but a WrestleMania rematch could be in store for Lashley.
With Kofi Kingston's sudden rise in momentum on the RAW after WrestleMania Backlash, there seems to be speculation about his future involvement in the WWE Title picture.
However, according to Dave Meltzer of WON, WWE is apparently planning to book Bobby Lashley vs. Drew McIntyre for Hell in a Cell 2021:
"So Hell in a Cell is being moved to 6/20 without any Hell in the Call program being at the level one would expect for such a show. Hell in a Cell should be the culmination of a feud, and the only program that appears at this point to be ready for it would be Bobby Lashley vs. Drew McIntyre for the WWE title," stated Dave Meltzer.
We hope this is true because it should be the final challenge that Drew McIntyre makes for the WWE Championship for a while. What better place to conclude it than inside the cell?
#1. Hope isn't true: WWE under pressure to bring back live crowds
WWE will return to live touring full-time in July, starting with SmackDown in Houston. The company has been waiting for this for a long time, but there were several tough decisions that needed to be made.
For instance, WWE could easily have restarted touring at a limited capacity post-WrestleMania but chose not to. Instead, the next show with fans will mark their full-time return, with a multi-city tour set to start in July.
According to WrestleVotes, FOX has reportedly pressurized WWE behind the scenes to get a timeframe for the return of crowds:
We hope this isn't true because it's a tricky decision for WWE to make. With that said, we understand FOX wanting their investment to pay off, and WWE has admittedly been comfortable in the ThunderDome with the comparative lack of expenses from not touring.
Either way, it will be fun to see fans return full time, and the SmackDown ratings on FOX may shoot up right after that.
