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Welcome to this week's edition of WWE/wrestling rumors we hope are true and those we hope aren't. We're nine days removed from SummerSlam 2021 and things are getting exciting in the world of WWE.
AEW has continued to deliver as well, and overall, it's a great time to be a wrestling fan. This week's edition focuses on backstage news behind major heel turns, WWE contracts expiring, details on Brock Lesnar's return and so much more!
#4. Hope is true: Vince McMahon wants to turn a WWE RAW star into a monster heel
Character changes are a part of WWE and wrestling in general. While heel turns normally take place when a babyface starts losing popularity, some happen by surprise, even when superstars have momentum as a face.
And in the past decades, there have been failed heel turns as well as several successful ones. The one that the company is reportedly planning could be the latter.
According to Dave Meltzer on the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Vince McMahon wants to give Keith Lee a new character. Wrestlingnews.co reported that he is pushing for Lee to turn into a monster heel. Sportskeeda Wrestling's Vatsal Rathod wrote:
"Dave Meltzer reported that WWE wants to change Keith Lee's style and give him a new character on the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter. WrestlingNews.co is now noting that WWE Chairman Vince McMahon has considered turning Keith Lee into a monster heel, despite getting a babyface reaction from the crowd during his dark matches."
We hope this is true because it could lead to Keith Lee's best character work yet on the main roster. He was off television for close to half a year. Holding on for a long time, Lee revealed that he had suffered severely from post-COVID-19 effects.
"Some people may have experienced this thing where there's an inflammation in the heart or in the lungs, for me it was the heart and that led to very scary times. I was basically forbidden from training or any activity outside of a light walk, so there was a fear that doing more than that, that there was a chance that I could just up and pass away," said Keith Lee.
Keith Lee has undoubtedly been getting great reactions from the fans, but this kind of a sudden heel turn could be exactly what he needs to take it to the next level.
#3. Hope isn't true: Roman Reigns inspired Becky Lynch's heel turn upon return to WWE?
The circumstances of the heel turns of Keith Lee and Becky Lynch are considerably different, even from WWE's perspective. Lee has had a strong start to his main roster career, but he hasn't developed much as a character.
Lynch had the greatest character development of any woman in the company's history between the summer of 2018 and WrestleMania 36 in 2020. Not to mention, she had been absent from WWE for nearly a year-and-a-half.
Even then, it was The Man who reportedly requested officials to turn heel herself. Dave Meltzer of WON reported that she was supposedly inspired by Roman Reigns and took it as a challenge:
" [Becky] Lynch had asked to return as a heel. Some have said in the company she was inspired by Reigns, and the reality is to many, being a heel is more fun," Meltzer revealed in the Newsletter. "Of course, the last time she tried to go heel, she became the most popular wrestler in the company and the hottest woman wrestling star the company had ever had. Maybe it's just a personal challenge, because from a business standpoint the move makes zero sense."
We hope this isn't true because Dave Meltzer is right about this. From a business standpoint, the move makes no sense. We understand the inner competitor side of Becky Lynch, who has likely taken this up as a big personal challenge.
However, it would have been better if WWE waited for a few months so the luster of her return wore out. That would have been the perfect time to make an unexpected turn.
If there's anything to learn from this, it's that the circumstances of heel turns differ on a case-by-case basis.
#3. Hope is true: Another possible post-WWE destination for Bray Wyatt?
Bray Wyatt has quite a few options for employment post-WWE. AEW is the most obvious destination for him as it offers the best opportunity. But even then, fans often forget that All Elite Wrestling isn't the sole alternative to Vince McMahon's promotion.
While New Japan Pro Wrestling would undoubtedly have been an option before, it isn't as much now due to COVID-19 restrictions. Even then, it won't be any trouble for Wyatt to find an alternative. He still has a lot of time left in his non-compete clause for WWE, which he will likely enjoy by spending time with his family.
Dave Meltzer reported that IMPACT Wrestling is also after the former world champion, but insisted that AEW is the most likely destination
Sportskeeda Wrestling's Shiven Sachdeva wrote:
"On Sunday Night’s Main Event, Dave Meltzer noted that Impact is 'really after' the former tag team champion. But he reiterated in his report that “people in high places” at AEW believe that Bray Wyatt signing with them."
We hope this is true because even IMPACT Wrestling is a good option for Bray Wyatt post-WWE. AEW is undoubtedly the best destination, however, as the promotion is in need of more character-based wrestlers.
#2. Hope isn't true: The reason why WWE gave Karrion Kross new gear
Karrion Kross debuted new gear for the first time on the WWE main roster on RAW last week. He faced Ricochet, but what was more talked-about than the match itself was the gear that Kross was wearing.
As it turns out, it was the company's decision to have him wear the gear and seemingly debut a bit of a new look. His main roster career has gotten on track following wins over Jeff Hardy and Ricochet.
According to Andrew Zarian of the Mat Men podcast, WWE reportedly wants everything and everyone to be marketable, which is why Karrion Kross got new gear:
"Spoke to a source regarding Kross’s new ring gear. His response : “Everything & everyone must be marketable. Toys, shirts, imaging, and accessories. You need to stand out to sell and this is how they sell," Zarian tweeted.
We hope this isn't true because it will continue to water down Karrion Kross on the main roster. Forcibly adding gear for merchandise purposes won't help him get over as a character.
#2. Hope is true: WWE still pursuing Adam Cole for a new contract
Adam Cole's time in NXT is over, but is his time in WWE done as well? Technically, it is, for now. As of this writing, he is no longer a WWE Superstar. Fightful reported that Cole, who signed a short-term extension to work SummerSlam weekend, is now done with the company on paper.
The report went on to state that his contract expired on August 27th and that WWE still intended to pursue him to get another contract. Nearly a week ago, Sportskeeda Wrestling's Kevin Sullivan wrote:
"The report also goes on to state that WWE intends to make Cole one final offer this week before his contract expires. Of course, if he doesn't accept it, that doesn't automatically mean he's AEW bound. But, if he is, there's nothing keeping him from jumping ship once August 27 comes and goes."
We hope this is true because Adam Cole is in prime position with two potentially big offers. If Vince McMahon's promotion is going out of their way to persuade him from leaving, then it must mean that he is valued by higher-ups. In an era where the company is letting go of former world champions, this is a refreshing change to see.
#1. Hope isn't true: The reason why WWE didn't have Kofi Kingston on SummerSlam
From the look of things, WWE never intended for Kofi Kingston to be on the SummerSlam card. In all likeliness, he was simply going to be alongside Xavier Woods in a rather forgettable ad-placement segment.
Even then, it's a shame that he hasn't been on TV recently. In a bit of an unexpected report, PWInsider stated that Kingston wasn't cleared to be a part of the pay-per-view:
"For those asking about Kofi Kingston disappearing from WWE TV and not being part of Summerslam or Raw, PWInsider.com has been told by multiple sources that he is not currently cleared to perform. Kingston was originally slated to be part of the promotional segment pushing the Pure Life Purified Water brand with Xavier, dressed as another member of the NWO, but obviously that did not happen. He was not on the road this weekend."
We hope this isn't true, but in all likeliness, it is. If it wasn't, then Kofi Kingston would have been guaranteed to appear at SummerSlam, dressed as another NWO member.
We hope that Kingston gets well soon. We're not sure why there hasn't been any news about the nature of his absence.
#1. Hope is true: The length of Brock Lesnar's WWE deal
Had it not been for CM Punk, the chances of WWE re-signing Brock Lesnar for SummerSlam would have been slim. His contract with the company expired in the summer of 2020, but he stopped appearing half a year before that.
WrestleMania 36 was his last appearance and as the promotion didn't use him during the Thunderdome/pandemic era, his contract quietly expired. That lasted for a full year until he was re-signed in what was reportedly a last-minute deal with WWE.
According to Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful, Lesnar's contract will see him compete for Vince McMahon's promotion until 2023 - with WrestleMania 39 presumably the last point. However, it's a contract that can be adjusted with negotiations.
Sportskeeda Wrestling's Matt Black wrote:
"According to Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Select, Brock Lesnar's is now under contract with WWE for "roughly a year and a half, and at least eight matches," but the contract is open to being renegotiated and changed should the company want him to work in more matches within that timeframe."
We hope this is true because there are a lot of big matches that Brock Lesnar can have in the coming year or two. We get the feeling that WrestleMania 39 may not even be the last time we see him in WWE.
