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Welcome back to another edition of AEW rumors that we hope are true and those we hope aren't. Bray Wyatt has been in the limelight lately, given that he will be a free agent by the end of this month.
We have come across a report regarding an update. Major implications were in place on Friday night when SmackDown and Rampage were head-to-head for 30 minutes straight. Now, without further ado, let's dive into the top rumors of the week.
#5 Hope isn't true: Backstage update on whether AEW will sign Bray Wyatt
Bray Wyatt's next wrestling destination has become one of the hottest topics in pro wrestling today. Tony Khan recently clarified that he hasn't spoken to the former Universal Champion regarding a possible AEW contract.
On the heels of Mr. Khan's claims, Bryan Alvarez, during the latest edition of Wrestling Observer Live, reported that there hasn't been much interest from All Elite Wrestling higher-ups to sign Wyatt. He noted that the ex-WWE star would probably ask for a hefty amount, which could come into play, considering recent lucrative signings:
"I told you guys a long time ago, I don't think Bray Wyatt is going to AEW. I have talked to people about Bray and they impression that I was given was not a lot of interest and obviously he's going to be asking for a lot of money. Does that mean that Bray Wyatt is never going to go to AEW? Of course not. Perhaps he will go someday. There are all sorts of things that can happen in negotiations," said Bryan Alvarez.
We hope this is not true for a couple of reasons. First, money doesn't seem to be an issue for Tony Khan, especially when he recently claimed that he has more money to spend than WWE. Secondly, Khan turned down the rumors back when suggesting that the company offered a contract to Adam Cole. Soon after, Cole made his arrival at All Elite Wrestling.
In Wyatt's case, there may not have been such talks, but who knows, the higher-ups probably want to keep this a secret and bring him when the time and place is right to take the pro wrestling world by storm.
#4 Hope isn't true: WWE possibly making SmackDown a three-hour show to initiate rating war with AEW Rampage
WWE Supersized SmackDown went up against AEW Rampage for 30 minutes straight this past Friday night. Prior to both promotions going head-to-head, Dave Meltzer, during the Wrestling Observer Radio, reported that Vince McMahon might add a third hour to the Blue brand if they end up beating Rampage:
"You think that it's somewhat a coincidence... but obviously, it's not. You know FS1 is gonna go commercial-free for the 30 minutes' head to head and it will be very interesting to see what happens and after what that means. Because if WWE is in a position to win after they have lost on Wednesday...I think they will very significantly consider adding a 3rd hour on Friday night to FS1 and going head to head with Rampage. But if they don't win, the last thing they want is a situation where...You know you had a head-to-head battle and AEW wins another one. So it will be very interesting to look at that head-to-head battle. It's something to look at, like, if it looks like it is close then I don't see WWE doing it," said Dave Meltzer.
It is worth recalling that AEW significantly outsmarted NXT during the Wednesday night wars. Despite that, we hope this isn't true. WWE will surely be aiming to initiate a Friday night war to thrash the newly launched Rampage in ratings.
However, they will probably end up hurting themselves in the process. In a very long time, SmackDown became a watchable show every week, surpassing RAW. The two-hour format benefitted them in providing a quality product and engaging their viewers until the end, unlike RAW.
Regardless of what happens this week, we hope SmackDown sticks to the two-hour format.
#3 Hope is true: AEW Full Gear match card accidentally leaked by Tony Khan
A rumor that might be delightful for some AEW fans and displeasing to others. A Twitter user recently caught the attention of social media after sharing a few images of Tony Khan holding a notepad from the Forbes interview.
The notepad that the AEW chief was carrying has possibly leaked the entire match card for the upcoming Full Gear pay-per-view, which takes place next month. Upon taking a closer look at the picture, some of the matches like Darby Allin vs. MJF, CM Punk vs. Wardlow, Jon Moxley vs. Bryan Danielson being possibly planned for the show.
In addition to that, The Inner Circle vs. American Top Dream and Jade Cargill vs. Thunder Rosa are also visible. It is worth noting that Hangman Page's name is circled, meaning that he could dethrone Kenny Omega next month.
Despite the entire match card getting unveiled, we hope that it turns out to be true. Leaks often occur from pro wrestling promotions, and even WWE has accidentally leaked noteworthy matches in the past. But it ended up benefitting them as the company would get more eyeballs on their weekly programming to see if it's true or not.
Given the match card, it suggests, All Elite Wrestling fans might be in for a treat next month.
#2 Hope is true: WWE possibly leaking AEW Rampage's fast national television ratings
Recent reports suggest that WWE is possibly leaking AEW Rampage's fast national television ratings to multiple wrestling outlets.
According to The Voices of Wrestling, the notion behind Vince McMahon's promotion leaking preliminary ratings could be to depict Rampage as the weaker show. The Voices of Wrestling source confirmed this report from at least one of the outlets who has been reporting such rating figures.
They noted that such leaks weren't happening before the launch of Rampage:
"Here's the scoop. WWE is leaking the Rampage fast nationals. This was tipped off to us and then confirmed by at least one of the outlets that has been reporting them. Come up with your own motivations, but that's who is feeding it to the news sites."
"My theory is that their strategy is to present Rampage as AEW being weak. Smackdown airs on the same night, so it's great P.R. to compare the numbers, especially since the general public has no understanding of what a good number is at Friday 10pm (I mean, just look at this app.) It's also notable that these leaks weren't happening until Rampage began to level off," stated the report.
We hope this is true. While it could be violating the rules, it explains that WWE is concerned with the swift rise of AEW, especially with the addition of the Rampage show onto the Friday night slot, the same night SmackDown airs.
Vince McMahon has often denied considering Tony Khan's promotion as competition. After AEW dethroned NXT during the Wednesday night war, WWE must be eyeing revenge through such strategies, given their juggernaut status.
#1 Hope is true: Backstage details on how WWE perceive Tony Khan and AEW
Tony Khan grabbed massive social media attention when he recently stated that he has more money than WWE.
Following his comments, Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter reported that people within WWE believe Khan has overspent on his promotion to find early success. They also believe that All Elite Wrestling will not turn a profit in the longer run, similar to WCW back in the day.
"WWE believe Tony Khan will 'spend so much and lose so much money in the long run' funding AEW. There has even been talk within WWE that Khan being able to spend so much money is unfair on them because Vince McMahon's company 'have' to turn a profit while they believe AEW doesn't have the same restrictions. WWE have also played down AEW's success so far as they believe Khan has simply overspent to start the promotion," said Meltzer.
We hope such talks within Vince McMahon's promotion are true, because again, it shows that they did acknowledge Tony Khan's promotion climbing up the ranks in no time.
Similar remarks to WCW will be pitched as there wasn't any promotion that put WWE on notice for nearly two decades. Regardless of how things proceed between the two promotions moving forward, fans will certainly have an option to see different quality products.
