'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
WWE rumor mill is always in full force. This past week was no different as various reliable sources continuously gave us updates. In this roundup, we take a look at the optimistic ones. The pessimistic ones have been dealt with separately in case you want to check that out too.
Who will Kenny Omega face at ALL IN? When will Dean Ambrose and Rey Mysterio return? And, will Elias and Rock collide somewhere down the line? We have all those rumors covered in this section.
So, without any further ado, here are 12 WWE rumors that should come true.
Also Read: 5 Things Vince McMahon should do for the sake of the fans
#12 Mauro Ranallo to announce the Mae Young Classic 2018
Mauro Ranallo is one of the best sports commentators. Having made the call in different sports such as boxing, kickboxing, Canadian football, and ice hockey, the 48-year-old Canadian journalist is currently the lead commentator for WWE NXT.
Those who love his commentary will get a chance to hear more from him as PWInsider reports that he would be the lead announcer for the Mae Young Classic Tournament.
Mauro Ranallo restores the faith in us that commentary in WWE can get better after Jim Ross' departure. The veteran journalist has also been bestowed with the Best Television Announcer from 2015-2017 for his work in NXT by the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. If you haven't heard from him before, you have got another reason to watch the Mae Young Classic 2018.
#11 Jason Jordan to team up with Chad Gable after his return
The Internet wrestling community has been abuzz with the rumors of Jason Jordan returning since the Money in the Bank pay-per-view. While we don't have any update regarding the date of his return, we do have a rumor concerning the possible storyline upon his return.
According to Bryan Alvarez of Wrestling Observer Newsletter (H/T: Johnny Payne of Sportskeeda), Jason Jordan is likely to team up with Chad Gable upon his return and not Seth Rollins. Here is the full transcript:
“The last I heard was it was gonna be (Jason) Jordan and (Chad) Gable again—and, (Seth) Rollins and (Dean) Ambrose as the teams—not Rollins and Jason Jordan.”
It would be better if Jason Jordan and Seth Rollins don't cross paths as a team again. Seth Rollins is on a roll right now and pairing him up with Jason Jordan can halt his push. Meanwhile, the American Alpha's dissolution has adversely affected Chad Gable as WWE hasn't booked him in a meaningful feud yet. If this rumor comes true, it would bring some much-needed credibility to Chad Gable and also not halt Seth Rollins' push.
#10 nWo to reunite for a WWE Network exclusive
New World Order, or simply nWo, is one of the most badass stables the pro-wrestling industry has seen. Furthermore, the stable operated at the time of Monday Night Wars and was one of the many reasons WCW led the WWE in the rating war for 84 weeks.
Their impact has been so profound that rumors of their return never fail to enthrall us. And according to Twitter user TicketDrew, they might be reuniting for a WWE Network special.
He might have ruled them out for a main-roster run as they are too old. But, they deserve a WWE Network special for their services towards WCW. We don't know if the "one off" is a hint towards the documentary or not. But, we hope that this rumor comes true nonetheless.
#9 WWE to combine the rosters at 2019
The brand split hasn't been as successful as the WWE wanted it to be. Following the split, Raw has seen its ratings drop to an all-time low, and SmackDown received massive criticism for making Jinder Mahal their World Champion. But, WWE needs to pull up their socks from October 2019 as SmackDown will move to Fox and Raw will remain on the USA Network for a much higher price.
At the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, a reader asked Dave Meltzer if WWE can panic and mix the rosters so as to prevent Fox from pulling out of the deal. Dave Meltzer answered the following (H/T: Ringsidenews.com):
“I can see that as a strong possibility. I don’t know the nature of the contract. My gut is they have to have it if it bombs because it’s primetime network TV. Worst case, they’ll move it to FS1 and I think they’ll do great numbers on FS1.”
As a well-wisher for pro-wrestling and WWE, I don't want Fox to pull out of the deal. But, the thought of Raw and SmackDown superstars being under the same roof every week does salivate us. A lot of dream feuds like Seth Rollins vs. AJ Styles and Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Dean Ambrose would finally come true.
#8 Elias to face Bobby Lashley at SummerSlam and the Rock somewhere down the line
Elias is one of the rare species of the WWE who faltered at the developmental brand but succeeded at the main roster. And, great things might be further in store for the Sinister Songsmith as rumors are surfacing that he would face Bobby Lashley at SummerSlam and the Rock somewhere down the line.
This week on Raw, Elias name dropped the Rock and hinted a match against him somewhere down the line. When a reader asked Dave Meltzer if a match between the two is a possibility, Dave Meltzer expounded the following (H/T: Johnny Payne of Sportskeeda):
“No, I don’t think he said The Rock with no reason. That may be the idea they’re building towards…It’s good for him. I mean for him to be in a match with The Rock, is positive.”
“The Rock doesn’t want to come back and do an average match. That’s the one thing with Elias…I can’t think of too many good Elias matches, let alone with someone who’s not wrestling regularly.”
Moreover, when asked about the likelihood of a match with Bobby Lashley, he stated, "So, that may be a SummerSlam match. Yeah, it’s going to be a tough match."
Elias vs. Rock can generate a lot of buzzes if booked properly. As mentioned previously by Dave Meltzer, the Rock doesn't want to return and have an average match. So, if the Rock does return to the ring and wants to face Elias, the feud will have to be eventually booked properly.
#7 Mixed tag team match to take place at SummerSlam
Mixed tag team matches aren't something you see very often in pro-wrestling and WWE. But, whenever they take place, they grab a lot of headlines. The success of the mixed match challenge and the WrestleMania mixed tag team match speak volumes about it. And, for all the fans of the aforementioned match type, we have some positive rumors.
In the recent episode of PWInsider Elite audio, Mike Johnson speculated that a mixed tag team match between the team of Andrade Almas and Zelina Vega and Rusev and Lana might be in store at SummerSlam. Here is the full transcript (H/T: Ringsidenews.com):
“Also announced is the in-ring debut of Zelina Vega on the main roster facing Lana. You’re going to have to have to assume that Rusev and Andrade are going to get involved here and my guess is at SummerSlam were getting a mixed tag.”
This rumor might come true as the Creative team is heading towards that direction. Moreover, the dissension between Rusev, Lana and Aiden English is also looming in the background which can play a pivotal part in the outcome of the feud.
All said and done, we don't want the match to be in the kick-off show. But, looking at the already stacked match card of the pay-per-view, we might have to be content with it.
#6 Seth Rollins vs. Dolph Ziggler at SummerSlam to be a ladder match
The feud between Seth Rollins and Dolph Ziggler is one of the very few positive things in the WWE right now. The two men produced barn-burning contests whenever they had collided excepting the Iron Man Match which the crowd hijacked. But, the fans are about to get a treat as the stipulation for their match at SummerSlam might be changed.
According to PWMania, Seth Rollins and Dolph Ziggler are set to clash at SummerSlam in a ladder match. WWE might do so as a reverence to the ladder match between Razor Ramon and Shawn Michaels for the Intercontinental Championship which had occurred 23 years ago. Moreover, both of them are ready for it, and we might see it coming to fruition.
If this rumor comes true, it would be great news for the WWE fans. Furthermore, a simple one-on-one match after an Iron Man Match seems anti-climactic too. It is only a matter of time since we see the stipulation change and, a ladder match is the perfect match type considering the history involved.
#5 Dean Ambrose to return after SummerSlam
Dean Ambrose was injured in December 2017 and has been out of action since then. Since then, the rumors of his return kept on ruminating. But, the recent rumor update suggests that he would be returning very soon.
According to wrestlingrumors.net, Dean Ambrose will be returning after SummerSlam and team up with Dean Ambrose. Furthermore, he might betray his long time friend and rival at Royal Rumble and set up a clash against him at WrestleMania 35.
Dean Ambrose is training at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando for weeks now. So, a return should be in the cards soon. While he may not show up at SummerSlam, he could always make his presence felt 24 hours later on Raw. His pairing with Seth Rollins should bring some much-needed credibility to the Raw tag team division which has become a joke now.
#4 Rey Mysterio to return back in WWE at October
Rey Mysterio is the greatest luchador to grace the ring of WWE. While I am not a huge fan of luchadors making their way to the WWE, Rey Mysterio's case is a different one. His story of overcoming all the odds to win the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 22 is considered by many as the greatest underdog story in the history of WWE.
For all the Rey Mysterio and lucha libre fans, we have some positive rumors for you. Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Newsletter speculated that Rey Mysterio might be boarding the ship back to the WWE. He further elucidated that the initial plan was to keep him off the All In event. Here is the full transcript (H/T: Sescoops.com):
“It appears (Mysterio’s) last dates are the first weekend of September. They did push the idea of bringing him in sooner, to keep him off All In in particular as well as some of the other shows he’s got but really All In was the key one.”
One ought to note that Rey Mysterio is a pre-order bonus for the WWE 2K19 game which is set to be released in the October this year. It won't make sense if he doesn't return to promote his own character. Moreover, he had earlier stated that he would like to end his career in the WWE. With age not on his side, he might have to hang his boots soon, and for that a WWE contract is imminent.
#3 Samoa Joe to win the WWE Championship at SummerSlam
Two weeks earlier on SmackDown, Samoa Joe attacked AJ Styles from behind and signed the contract to face him at SummerSlam for the WWE Championship. The fans have been waiting for this match since Samoa Joe made his SmackDown debut and going by the recent betting odds, we might have a new champion.
According to renowned betting website Skybet, Samoa Joe is the favorite to win the championship, and AJ Styles is the underdog. The difference isn't vast as Samoa Joe has odds of 4/5 whereas AJ Styles has that of 10/11. However, the narrow margin cannot be neglected as it signals the end of the Phenomenal One's title reign.
AJ Styles' title run was fun to watch. However, one has to ought that there aren't any more credible wrestlers left in the roster other than Daniel Bryan who poses a threat to win the title. Samoa Joe's title run would be intriguing to watch if he doesn't get injured again.
#2 Kenny Omega and Pentagon Jr. to face each other at All In
Kenny Omega and Pentagon Jr. are two of the biggest attractions of NJPW and Lucha Underground respectively. While both of them have been active in the North American independent circuit for a long time, they haven't faced each other in singles competition. However, as per the recent rumors, that day is not far away.
According to Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Kenny Omega and Pentagon Jr. would finally face each other at the All In event. This comes after the original rumored plan to have a six-man tag team match between The Elite (Kenny Omega and the Young Bucks) and the team of Rey Mysterio, Fenix, and Pentagon Jr. got canceled. Here is the full transcript (H/T: Johnny Payne of Sportskeeda):
“So, when I first heard a bunch of matches which were gonna be changed a million times, it was The Young Bucks & Kenny Omega vs. Fenix & Pentagon. So, now they took Omega and Pentagon out—and put Kota Ibushi, (Rey Mysterio) and Bandido in. Which I think is to showcase Bandido because Bandido has really been tearing it up.”
It just feels like since they were both originally in that other match, it makes sense if you’re pulling those two guys off, it would be to make a singles match (between Omega and Pentagon).”
Kenny Omega vs. Pentagon Jr. can salivate any independent wrestling fan. If this rumor comes true, it would be a huge treat for all the fans who managed to buy the tickets.
#1 Brock Lesnar to return at WrestleMania 35 to face Braun Strowman
On 19th August 2018, Brock Lesnar might lose his WWE Universal Championship and depart to the UFC. If he does so, his never-ending feud with Roman Reigns would be put to rest once and for all.
However, his chapter with Braun Strowman hasn't completed yet. They haven't collided after the triple threat match at Royal Rumble where Kane took the pin to protect the Monster Among Men. If we maintain our kayfabe, we don't have an answer yet as to who is the most dominating one.
According to Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated (H/T: Jeff Whalen of Rajah.com), Brock Lesnar might return at WrestleMania 35 to face Braun Strowman. He didn't elucidate how WWE will book the feud, or if Brock Lesnar will be a full-timer. But, we have to agree that Brock Lesnar is the most viable opponent for Braun Strowman at WrestleMania.
There are plenty of part-timers in the WWE, but Brock Lesnar is the only one to receive legitimate heat. One ought to note that much of it has to do with the company's decision to book him a champion knowing he can't work full-time. If the championship isn't around his waist, the feuds and matches can be terrific indeed.
