4 Wrestling rumors we hope are true and 3 we hope aren't: Big mistake made in the WWE Draft revealed, Unexpected reason why Bray Wyatt was released?

Welcome to this week's edition of WWE/wrestling rumors we hope are true and those we hope aren't. It's been an interesting month so far in the world of WWE and wrestling.

This week, we'll look at some botches made by Vince McMahon's promotion, the cancelation of a long-standing pay-per-view, and Braun Strowman's wrestling future.

Plus, Brock Lesnar's future post-Crown Jewel, a big return for Survivor Series that has reportedly been canceled, the actual reason why the company reportedly released Bray Wyatt, backstage news, and more:

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#4. Hope is true: The reason behind Bianca Belair's omission on the WWE Draft list

Bianca Belair was a surprising first-round pick on Night One of the Draft. Despite not being a current titleholder, she was drafted before Becky Lynch, who was a first-round pick for RAW on Night Two.

Belair has undoubtedly been among the top four most pushed women in WWE right now, with the other three being Lynch, Charlotte Flair, and Sasha Banks. As of this writing, she is scheduled for a SmackDown Women's title match at Crown Jewel this Thursday in Saudi Arabia.

It's unlikely that she'll win the title since she was drafted to the Red brand. However, she could still be the long-term plan. Either way, WWE made a mistake recently with the Draft.

They showed both the complete rosters post-Draft and Bianca Belair was oddly omitted from it, raising some questions about the company's plans for the women's title.

According to Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful, it was simply an error. Sportskeeda Wrestling's Matt Black wrote:

"Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Select subsequently reached out to WWE for clarification and was told that her omission was simply an error. The plan still calls for Bianca Belair to move to WWE RAW on October 25."

We hope this is true because it would have been an odd situation to be in for WWE. The way the women's titles changed brands has already caused some confusion, but in all likeliness, Vince McMahon's promotion will clarify that this Friday or next Monday.

#3. Hope isn't true: The actual reason why WWE released Bray Wyatt?

Bray Wyatt's release from WWE was arguably the most shocking one since the pandemic. He is a multi-time world champion and proved to be good on the merchandise-selling front as well.

The biggest problem he faced in WWE was a creative one, where most fans accused the company of "pulling the rug" from underneath Wyatt every time he gained serious momentum.

The reason behind his release was rumored to be a cost-cutting measure - at least that was what most talent seemed to be informed about. However, Andrew Zarian of the Mat Men podcast revealed that there were some backstage issues that may have led to Bray Wyatt's release:

“Bray was being difficult... He was a little difficult, he had some performance issues in the ring, and he had some weight issues. I’m not saying that that’s the reason, I’m not gonna say that’s the reason, but you can kind of piece things together – when you evaluate a talent and you’re, like, ‘Okay we need this and we need that and this is the plan moving forward’, you need someone… sometimes the decision is easier to make if you make it more difficult for them to make that decision," said Andrew Zarian.

We hope this isn't true because Bray Wyatt had every right to feel creatively frustrated - something he has hinted at before.

It seems as though Wyatt read this rumor and even responded to it on social media, as can be seen in the tweet above.

#3. Hope is true: Braun Strowman's next destination post-WWE almost confirmed?

AEW has been poked fun at for taking in a lot of ex-WWE names who were released. However, one name that hasn't been rumored to sign with All Elite Wrestling at all is Braun Strowman.

The Monster Among Men was released in mid-2021, not long after he competed in a marquee pay-per-view match for the WWE Championship. He even had a great steel cage match against Shane McMahon at WrestleMania 37.

However, he too was shockingly released by WWE, but it seems as though AEW isn't the party interested in signing him the most. Tony Khan's promotion has signed a lot of ex-WWE names in the recent months, and as much as people would love to see Strowman in the company, it doesn't necessarily mean that he will be a good fit.

Many have suggested IMPACT Wrestling as a better fit for him, and that's exactly where he could be headed. The Braun Strowman to IMPACT Wrestling rumors have only gained more credibility following a recent report from PWInsider.

Sportskeeda Wrestling's Matt Black wrote:

"According to Mike Johnson of PWInsider, the former WWE Universal Champion Braun Strowman met with high-ranking IMPACT Wrestling executive Scott D'Amore last night at a hotel bar following Motor City Comic Con in Detroit."

We hope this is true because Strowman would suit the promotion, and hopefully, he makes a big splash at the marquee pay-per-view Bound For Glory this coming weekend.

#2. Hope isn't true: Significant frustration in the WWE women's division following change in Queen's Crown result?

Not all is well in the WWE women's division. Despite the inaugural Queen's Crown tournament introduced in 2021, there has already been a lot of criticism regarding the company's handling of it.

The average match length for the tournament on both brands has been low, with bouts often ending in less than two minutes. So far, Zelina Vega has qualified for the finals, with the other woman set to qualify on RAW.

The first round saw Carmella pick up a win over Liv Morgan to qualify for the semi-finals, while Vega defeated Toni Storm. The former, in particular, was a slightly controversial result and it may have led to some frustrations backstage. According to a report by Fightful Select, it was Morgan who was supposed to beat Carmella instead:

"Carmella ended up winning the match, but we're told that at one point ahead of the match, Liv Morgan was actually penciled in to win the match. We've heard significant frustration from talent and staff alike about the booking of the women's division of late, and the time given in multiple situations. We'll work to find out more," stated the report.

We hope this is true, but given the booking on live television, we wouldn't be surprised if a lot of the superstars in the women's division are frustrated with the way things are being handled.

#2. Hope is true: WWE canceling a pay-per-view for good?

This could be the end of an era in WWE. While the company seemed to love turning big stipulation matches into themed pay-per-views, one could go to the shelf for a while - or even for good.

That happens to be TLC - an event that has been running for over a decade. While there have been occasional adjustments of pay-per-view placements, TLC has largely been WWE's final pay-per-view of the calendar year.

According to Dave Meltzer on the Wrestling Observer Radio, Vince McMahon's promotion is reportedly set to end the TLC pay-per-view after a decade, replacing it with a new year's show on January 1st called "Day 1":

“Originally, there was going to be a pay-per-view in Chicago at the Allstate Arena in mid-December," Dave Meltzer began. "And the feeling is now that doing 12 a year, and the December pay-per-view will actually be January 1 in Atlanta. The idea of doing January 1 rather than do mid-late December. And then they’re still gonna do Royal Rumble as the January pay-per-view. A lot of people were wondering, when they moved the December Chicago date from being a pay-per-view to being a television taping, who’s gonna get the pay-per-view? And the answer is that there is no pay-per-view.”

We hope this is true because WWE should slowly do away with themed pay-per-views, with the exception of Money in the Bank. However, the downside of this is that superstars, staff, and crew members won't be able to spend new year's time with their families.

#1. Hope isn't true: The Rock's return to WWE canceled?

There were several rumors about The Rock's return to WWE. According to original reports, The Great One was all set to make his return at Survivor Series 2021 - the 25th anniversary of his debut.

However, a report from Andrew Zarain on the Mat Men podcast revealed that The Rock will be in Australia during the pay-per-view, which means that he won't make an appearance:

“Little update on The Rock – he's apparently in Australia during Survivor Series. Now, does that mean he won’t be doing something at Survivor Series? They’re definitely gonna mention it. They’re definitely gonna talk about it. There will be maybe a video appearance or something that’s planned. But he’s not gonna be there," Andrew Zarian said.

Dave Meltzer of WON doubled down on this rumor, stating that the plans for The Brahma Bull's return to the company are "out of the window":

"The idea of an appearance/angle from Dwayne Johnson on what would have been the 25th anniversary of his WWF main promotion televised debut at this year’s Survivor Series are out the window,'' stated Meltzer.

We hope this isn't true because it would have been the perfect set-up for The Rock's WWE return and a potential WrestleMania program against Roman Reigns. However, given his schedule, it shouldn't come as a surprise.

#1. Hope is true: Brock Lesnar's next WWE pay-per-view appearance after Crown Jewel

Brock Lesnar's return to WWE came as a big surprise to fans in attendance and those watching all over the world. The promotion bringing him back after one-and-a-half years was reportedly a response to AEW's signing with CM Punk - one that was considered game-changing for them.

Whether it worked or not was arguable, but Lesnar will make his return to the ring at Crown Jewel in Saudi Arabia - challenging Roman Reigns for the Universal Championship.

Brock Lesnar isn't expected to win the Universal title back at Crown Jewel, but a controversial finish to continue the feud is highly possible. Post-that, it will be Survivor Series. Assuming that Roman Reigns remains the Universal Champion, then he will likely have a clash against Big E in a Champion vs. Champion match.

According to a tweet from the America's Center in St. Louis, The Beast Incarnate will be appearing at the 2022 Royal Rumble pay-per-view.

We hope this is true because WWE needs a big name like Lesnar for the 2022 Royal Rumble. It will be interesting to see where he is placed. It's either going to be in the Men's Royal Rumble match itself or the Universal title bout. The latter seems likelier.

Could he join the elite list of two-time Royal Rumble winners next year?