It was an eventful week for WWE. The draft kicked off the much-awaited brand split era for WWE and then, they came up with an excellent pay-per-view in the form of Battleground. Now, WWE will have the task of delivering the goods as the expectations of the fans are on an all-time high.
With expectations being high, the stakes are also raised and amidst all these, the Internet continues to buzz about the potential paths that WWE might take. Thanks to the hectic week that was, the rumor mill was active as ever and gave us some interesting rumors to dissect. So here are the top rumors of the week and their analysis.
Gran Metalik and Kota Ibushi could bypass NXT
With the WWE cruiserweight division officially announced for Monday Night Raw, WWE might be letting their newest employees bypass NXT and go straight into the main roster. Gran Metalik and Kota Ibushi could make their main roster debut after the Cruiserweight classic wraps up. WWE is also looking to add a few more names to the division soon with Cedric Alexander and Akira Tozawa on top of the priority list.
It was also noted that Tajiri could be signed to a permanent WWE contract once the CWC comes to an end. With all these talents flowing in and the current roster, it would be interesting to see how the Cruiserweight division turns out to be.
Reason why Bray Wyatt got a low pick on draft
The reason why Cesaro got a low pick during the WWE draft was because of the backstage heat that he had. Cesaro could have more heat on him due to the way he reacted after the draft but some rumors suggest that he might get away with it as Vince McMahon is known to like superstars that stand up for themselves.
Meanwhile, Bray Wyatt was another superstar that got a low pick and according to the rumors, he was punished for the reacting to Matt Hardy on Twitter. Hardy and Bray had engaged in an interesting exchange after WWE aired the Compound segment as it had similarities to the Final Deletion segment from TNA featuring Matt and his brother Jeff.
WWE pushing Big Show vs. Shaq
The rumors about a potential showdown between Big Show and Shaquille O’Neal are getting stronger as weeks pass by. The latest rumor suggests that WWE advised their talent to hype the Show vs. Shaq match throughout the weekend. The match is apparently confirmed as of now and WWE is likely to push it for the coming months.
As Big Show was drafted to Raw, we could get to see him receive some strong booking on the road to WrestleMania as WWE will want to build some momentum for the World’s largest athlete before he locks horns with the former NBA star.
Plans for WWE draft in the future
The 2016 edition of the WWE draft turned out to be a huge success. It will be interesting to see how WWE takes things from this point onwards. The initial plan was to have Brock Lesnar as the number one pick for the draft. But due to his USADA bust, Lesnar was relegated as WWE did not want to have the entire limelight on the Beast.
Also, Undertaker not being in the draft does not mean that he is retired. He will not be brand specific as it stands. In addition to all these, WWE is rumored to hold the WWE draft as an annual program around this time of the year.
Alberto Del Rio going again?
Alberto Del Rio’s run with the WWE might be coming to an end as both the parties are not satisfied with the way things are going. Del Rio, if we remember, took a break from WWE after his first spell and returned only recently to the promotion. However, things are not going as planned for the Mexican and with all the chaos surrounding Paige, Del Rio might decide to walk away for good.
If he indeed decides to leave WWE, the same will happen only by October when his contract allows him to do so. But with the brand split in place now, things could change.
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