The week before Payback had its fair share of buzz. The internet which had a lot to chew on for the past seven days, speculated about a string of topics. Payback, as expected, was one of the major talking points. With a huge main event between Roman Reigns and AJ Styles in place, the battle lines are drawn perfectly for the pay-per-view.
There were also mentions about the suspension of Adam Rose and Konnor along with the potential face turn of a big name in the roster. A ridiculous rumor about Undertaker’s absence in the European tour also got into the news. Here is a detailed look at all those rumors and their potential impact.
WWE expanding
WWE mad a big move in expanding their international market by hiring a new executive in China. WWE named Jay Li Vice as the Vice President and General Manager of Greater China. He comes with experience in Skullcandy and IBM and has kicked off a lot of rumors regarding Shane McMahon’s role.
Shane spent a good time in China running a video on demand company and the movement to expand in China could be Shane pulling the strings. Also, WWE struck another good deal past month when the signed a multi-film deal with the production company of Wesley Snipes. The first film will feature Snipes alongside Seth Rollins.
Reason for Undertaker being pulled from European events
There were a lot of buzz regarding WWE pulling Undertaker from the live events in Europe earlier this month. Some suggested that Undertaker was nearing his retirement which was the reason why WWE did so. However, a ridiculous rumor has poked up in the rumor mill regarding the situation.
According to the Wrestling Observer, the WWE talent was told that Undertaker was pulled off from the tour due to terrorist activities in France and Belgium.
It is not clear whether this is indeed the reason, but either way, Undertaker had some problem which restricted him from appearing at the shows. Taker is expected to appear in time for SummerSlam when there is also rumors suggesting that Taker could only return in time for next year’s WrestleMania.
Alberto Del Rio to turn face
With the League of Nations officially in the books, WWE is eager to let all four members flourish in new roles. The current plan in place for Alberto Del Rio is a face turn. Del Rio had been playing heel for quite some time now and a face turn would clearly go down as a fresh approach.
The timeline on the same, however, is not revealed. It may not happen anytime soon, but it is indeed on its way. Del Rio had a forgettable spell with the League of Nations and will be looking to get his momentum back with this potential angle.
Rumors on suspension
Adam Rose and Konnor were suspended recently for violating WWE’s wellness policy and the story took some interesting twists in the past few days. Adam Rose came out and addressed his suspension and claimed that he had prescriptions for the drug that he was using.
The courage that he showed to come out and say such a thing has apparently impressed the WWE officials. This along with the good track record that Rose has in the locker room is expected to benefit him when he returns. As for Konnor, the rumor is that he did not test positive for the substance in question.
Plans for Payback
AJ Styles will battle Roman Reigns for the WWE championship at Payback with the influence of Karl Anderson and Doc Gallows being the subplot. Anderson and Gallows made it clear that they will back AJ Styles on Sunday night. AJ, however, did not seem very impressed with the idea.
According to what is being planned, this stalemate between AJ and his pals could continue beyond Payback. Reigns is scheduled to walk out of the show with the WWE championship around his waist. There are also some rumors making rounds about Reigns turning heel and aligning with Anderson and Gallows so that AJ could be a full-fledged baby face going forward.
