4 Wrestling rumors we hope are true and 3 we hope aren't: Another top star re-signs with WWE, 3 circumstances that can lead to Kevin Owens' release revealed

Welcome to this week's edition of WWE/wrestling rumors we hope are true and those we hope aren't. The end of the year is nearing, as is the brand new Day 1 pay-per-view.

This week's edition features a lot of details about Kevin Owens re-signing with WWE, how it has resulted in another superstar doing the same. We also focus on the response to rumors that Jeff Hardy tried to get himself fired, the future of a released superstar and the messy backstage contract details, and more:

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#4. Hope is true: Another top star re-signs with WWE

Kevin Owens' WWE contract was set to expire on January 31st, 2022. There was a lot of speculation about whether he was staying or not, and a rumor even emerged that he was "expected" to leave the company.

For some reason, the news of Sami Zayn's contract status went under the radar. It was revealed that his contract was set to expire by the end of 2021, giving him an even smaller room than Owens.

After news about KO re-signing with WWE emerged, Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful revealed in a YouTube Q & A that he expected the renewal would help the company in their efforts to retain Sami Zayn's services.

Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter reported that Zayn has re-signed with WWE as well. As of now, no company sources have confirmed the news, but he described it as "locker room talk":

''In conjunction with being featured more heavily on television, Kevin Owens (Kevin Steen, 37), signed a multi-year deal with WWE. There has also been locker room talk that Sami Zayn (Rami Sebei, also 37) did as well, but WWE sources have not confirmed Zayn having signed to us yet,'' said Meltzer.

We hope this is true and that Sami Zayn has re-signed with Vince McMahon's promotion. It seemed to be a no-brainer that he would renew his contract after the news of Kevin Owens doing so. Just like his on-screen rival (and real-life best friend), Zayn is a better fit for WWE than AEW.

#3. Hope isn't true: Kevin Owens can still be released by WWE under three circumstances

Kevin Owens' new deal with WWE made many assume that he will be safe from getting cut. So far, Owens hasn't been released or been in the conversation during the several set of firings that have happened.

Perhaps the only negative part about his contract is that there reportedly isn't a no-cut clause, meaning that he isn't fully safe from being released.

Dave Meltzer of WON reported that in reality, a WWE contract is a 90-day one that renews every day at the company's will. He also revealed three circumstances that could still lead to his release

"'The 2-3 million a year range is so blinding to people, they sign, not realizing it's a 90 day contract that renews every day at WWE's sole discretion. But the non-cut does put the company in control if they perceive the value of the talent to drop, or they lose interest, or company finances take a downward turn (the latter of which isn’t happening but it's a safeguard in the event it does)."

We hope this isn't true, because it's a bad contract deal for performers regardless of the amount that is paid.

#3. Hope is true: Kevin Owens' lucrative deal with WWE

Kevin Owens re-signing with WWE has undoubtedly been the biggest news of the wrestling world this week. It comes after a lot of speculation and even certain reports stating that he was expected to leave the company when his contract expired on 31st January, 2022.

With that said, it shouldn't come as a surprise that the company made an offer for him to stay. Owens revealed that he stayed because WWE has become like home for him and it's a place he is familiar and comfortable with, having spent six-and-a-half years on the main roster alone.

But the good news isn't just that. It's that he reportedly was offered a lucrative contract, making him one of the highest-earners in Vince McMahon's promotion.

Sportskeeda Wrestling's Vatsal Rathod wrote:

"According to the latest report by Fightful Select, WWE and Kevin Owens have finally come to terms with the star to sign a new contract. The report states that Owens was made "an excellent offer" to stay with the company and sources with WWE are extremely delighted to retain him."

We hope this is true because Kevin Owens deserves that kind of money, and AEW being unable to match the offer just reaffirmed that staying in WWE was the right call.

#2. Hope isn't true: Mixed bag for WWE RAW ratings

Two weeks ago, WWE saw a record-low 18-49 demographic rating for the red brand at just 0.35. The episode was headlined by Becky Lynch vs. Liv Morgan for the RAW Women's Championship.

It came as bad news because the 18-49 demographic is often viewed as the most valuable target audience for WWE (and wrestling in general). This week's episode of RAW was centered around Bobby Lashley attempting to re-enter WWE title contendership and doing so by taking out two former world champions and Big E.

According to ShowBuzz Daily, RAW ratings were a mixed bag this week. While the overall number fell to 1.573 million from 1.599 million, the rating for the 18-49 demographic increased to 0.39. Here is a breakdown of how it went:

"Here is the hourly viewership breakdown: Hour 1 (8 pm): 1.620 million – last week: 1.669 / Hour 2 (9 pm): 1.627 million – last week: 1.636 / Hour 3 (10 pm): 1.474 million – last week: 1.494" (h/t WrestlingNews.co)

We hope this isn't true, atleast from the overall ratings standpoint. It's good that WWE saw a boost in the highly-coveted 18-49 demographic, but the overall rating doesn't do justice to what was an otherwise good episode.

#2. Hope is true: Response to rumors that Jeff Hardy tried to get himself fired from WWE

The more information comes out, the more sketchy Jeff Hardy's WWE release seems to be getting. At first, it seemed to be a straightforward deal. Hardy seemingly had an episode during a live event where he walked away into the crowd, leading security to chase him.

WWE naturally confronted him about this and he refused rehab, something that has now been confirmed by Matt Hardy. However, according to Matt in his stream, The Charismatic Enigma truly didn't need rehab and that Vince McMahon's promotion may have possibly jumped the gun.

There has been some speculation that it was simply Jeff Hardy trying to get out of his WWE deal. Sean Ross Sapp of Fighful instantly shut down these rumors, stating that his sources within the company called it an "absurd" take:

We hope this is true because it truly feels like an absurd take that was made to fuel the fire of an already-sensitive situation. Matt Hardy posted a photo of his brother for the first time since his release, and he seems to be doing perfectly fine.

Time will tell whether WWE jumped the gun, as Matt feels that his brother is in the best state he has been in years.

#1. Hope isn't true: The process behind Bray Wyatt's WWE release

Despite a lot of positive news about WWE seemingly being happy to retain Kevin Owens, Dave Meltzer of F4WOnline isn't fully positive about it. Perhaps it has to do with the fact that the company has released a record number of talent and staff since the COVID-19 pandemic in April 2020.

Every other month, there seems to be a new set of releases, with atleast one surprising name. But perhaps the most surprising release of all was Bray Wyatt - a superstar who was a three-time world champion, a popular name, and a proven merchandise-seller.

While different backstage non-money issues were what reportedly led to his release, Dave Meltzer explained how the seven-figure contracts are "blinding" and how it resulted in Wyatt's release from WWE:

"The 2-3 million a year range is so blinding to people [like Owens, Wyatt, etc.], they sign, not realizing it's a 90 day contract that renews every day at WWE's sole discretion. It's how they 'got' Windham Rotunda. He was going to get 3 mil, 3 year term. They went to a 5 year term. He held. They inched up towards 4. He jumped at it. But it's still a 90 day contract. And with the higher number, it takes less and less to trigger the release," revealed a WWE source to Dave Meltzer.

We hope this isn't true because it seems to be an unfair way to treat talent. Bray Wyatt especially was a superstar with name value and even the best of talent seem to be at the mercy of the company, who has lesser reasons every single time to release a star.

#1. Hope is true: Bray Wyatt's future in wrestling after WWE

Bray Wyatt hasn't wrestled since his last match with WWE at WrestleMania 37. That's over eight months ago, and he was kept for a few months before Vince McMahon's promotion shockingly released him.

Wyatt was very popular among fans, and most people didn't understand the decision to release a homegrown superstar who many felt had far more potential than what was presented on-screen.

Ultimately, his release from WWE summed up his main roster career, and following that, there were rumors of interest from both AEW and IMPACT Wrestling. In all likeliness, he has spoken to both companies, but from the way things stand, we won't be seeing Bray Wyatt in a wrestling ring anytime soon.

According to Dave Meltzer on WON, Wyatt isn't planning to return to wrestling just yet:

“Windham, the former Bray Wyatt, is another name that has been talked about. The last we heard was that he had the movie gig and didn’t want to come back so soon. Whether he comes back here or Impact, I don’t know at this point. He may not be in a rush to do anything given he had one of the top five or six contracts in WWE so unless he was living incredibly large, he shouldn’t have financial issues forcing him back until he feels like it. At one point he was apart on money from both promotions," said Melzter.”

We hope this is true because Bray Wyatt deserves some time away from the wrestling business. Given how things played out with the creative frustration he had to face constantly, it's probably best if he stays away from wrestling for a little while longer before hopefully reinvigorating his passion and joining a suitable promotion.