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Welcome back to a special edition of Sportskeeda Wrestling's WWE Rumor Roundup.
It's been an eventful weekend as AEW unveiled CM Punk while WWE offered another newsworthy SummerSlam event featuring the returns of Brock Lesnar and Becky Lynch.
We have all the top backstage notes from The Biggest Party of the Summer, which explains the reasoning behind the planned swerves for the pay-per-view.
We begin the roundup with details of the company changing its creative plans for Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns. WWE also had a significant objective behind booking Lesnar's return at SummerSlam.
Fresh reports suggest that AEW has lined up a third major acquisition after CM Punk and Daniel Bryan, and there is one massive former world champion whose name has cropped up amid all the speculation.
How did people backstage in WWE react to Punk's return to professional wrestling? Why did Vince McMahon book Bianca Belair in a 27-second squash? Here are all the answers and more from today's Rumor Roundup:
#5. WWE changed its plans for Brock Lesnar, real reason why The Beast Incarnate returned
SummerSlam 2021 ended with Brock Lesnar's long-awaited WWE return as he confronted Roman Reigns and was also involved in a brutal post-show segment with John Cena.
Andrew Zarian of The Mat Men Pro Wrestling podcast revealed that getting Lesnar back was WWE's response to CM Punk's debut on AEW Rampage.
Dave Meltzer released several additional details regarding the original plans for Roman Reigns' feud with Lesnar.
In the Wrestling Observer Radio, Meltzer noted that the company had initially lined up Reigns vs. Lesnar for WrestleMania 39, scheduled to happen at Inglewood, California, in 2023.
As per the planned flow of events, Roman Reigns was on course for a WrestleMania 38 match with Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson in 2022. The Tribal Chief was then supposed to face Brock Lesnar at the following year's WrestleMania.
The updated plan is for Reigns and Lesnar to feud for the remainder of the year. While we don't have confirmed dates, the long-time rivals could have their match either at Survivor Series or Crown Jewel.
Brock Lesnar has introduced a new ponytail look and looks ready to make the unlikely transition to being a babyface during the program with Reigns.
The Beast Incarnate also provided an excellent preview of his babyface traits after SummerSlam as he was spotted smiling and interacting with fans.
#4. Bray Wyatt is expected to join AEW upon completion of his WWE non-compete clause
While Bray Wyatt patiently waits for his non-compete phase to end, Dave Meltzer revealed during a recent episode of Wrestling Observer Radio that the former WWE Champion is most likely set to sign with AEW.
Meltzer clarified that Wyatt's AEW debut is not 100% locked in at the moment, but the "strong" expectations backstage hint towards Windham Rotunda soon being All Elite.
"It's not 100%. His non-compete's not up, but it's most likely happening. It's at the same stage when I said Aleister Black long before it's happened. It's at the same stage. It's an expectation that's pretty strong. Put it that way," revealed Dave Meltzer.
He revealed a few days back that a third major acquisition was coming into All Elite Wrestling following the signings of CM Punk and Daniel Bryan.
"Sources close to the promotion that would be alerted to such things also noted a new major AEW acquisition is coming on the heels of the deals for C.M. Punk and Bryan Danielson," reported Dave Meltzer.
We're not sure if Bray Wyatt is the third signing or if the company has another high-profile debutant waiting in line. Tony Khan looks to be assembling a formidable roster, and the next few months could see more new faces in the AEW ranks.
#3. The reason behind squash match at SummerSlam, update on if WWE is burying Bianca Belair
While fans seemed happy about Becky Lynch's triumphant SummerSlam return, WWE has also attracted flak for booking Bianca Belair to lose the SmackDown women's title in a 27-second squash match.
PWinsider reported that the company devised a quick finish for the pop from viewers anticipating a rematch between Belair and Sasha Banks.
Vince McMahon was said to be '100%' responsible for the call to have Belair drop the title in a brief match, and the idea was to make The Man look like a million bucks.
Meanwhile, there are fan concerns about whether WWE was deliberately trying to puncture Bianca Belair's momentum.
Sources revealed that McMahon's entire focus was on maximizing the effectiveness of Becky Lynch's return, and the angle went ahead as per the WWE Chairman's vision for the SummerSlam event.
"We are told it was 100% a Vince McMahon call, and the title switch to Lynch was specifically designed to make her return even more spectacular. We are told that even though some in the company expressed that concern beforehand, the idea was that the moment was about Lynch per Vince McMahon's vision for the PPV," PWInsider reported.
It was added that WWE is not taking Belair 'down a notch' and that the booking at SummerSlam was just a reflection of the company's efforts to save a big title match after Sasha Banks' absence.
#2. Backstage reaction in WWE to CM Punk's return to wrestling for AEW
The worst kept secret in recent memory finally got out in the open this past Friday as CM Punk returned to pro wrestling and experienced one of the most incredible crowd reactions ever.
PWInsider Mike Johnson reported that people within WWE expected Punk to debut on AEW's Rampage.
There were, however, varied reactions backstage in the company as some reportedly underplayed the response that his debut generated. There is also a belief behind the scenes that WWE could have mended fences with CM Punk and convinced him to return to the promotion. Here's what PWInsider reported:
"For those asking the reaction within WWE to this, obviously they knew it was coming. We have heard from some who were dismissive of the debut (although they hadn't seen the electric scene of his return) and some who felt WWE had completely missed out by not having that moment for themselves to help repair the bridge with Punk," Mike Johnson revealed.
Punk will step foot in the ring with Darby Allin at All Out on September 5th, and his first match in over seven years could potentially help AEW exceed their previous numbers.
#1. Original plans for Becky Lynch's WWE return
Several outlets have confirmed that Becky Lynch's return was a last-minute decision due to Sasha Banks' unavailability.
Dave Meltzer said on the Observer Radio that Lynch was brought back only because WWE needed a big-name replacement for Banks.
He stated that company officials were informed eight days ago about Sasha Banks being off the SummerSlam show. WWE continued to falsely advertise Banks for the title showdown right up until the pre-match introductions.
"Obviously, that was not the planned idea. It happened because Sasha Banks wasn't going to be ready, and they felt they needed something and to quell the audience," revealed Meltzer.
Mike Johnson of PWInsider added that the Irish superstar was originally slated to make her planned comeback in October.
The new SmackDown Women's Champion will become a full-time member of the Blue brand moving forward, and there is noticeable hype surrounding her regular presence on WWE TV and how she'd fare in her fifth women's title reign.
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