4 Wrestling rumors we hope are true and 3 we hope aren't: Vince McMahon to push young star as "The Next Edge", WWE's disappointing main event for WrestleMania 39 revealed?

Welcome to this week's edition of WWE/wrestling rumors we hope are true and those we hope aren't. We're nearing Extreme Rules 2021, a pay-per-view that could deliver in a big way.

The WWE Draft is perhaps the next big thing to look forward to in early October, but a lot more could happen before then. This week's rumors include Vince McMahon spotting the next WrestleMania main eventer, the disappointing original plans for the Wrestlemania 39 main event, a big backstage morale boost on RAW, WWE contracts expiring, a legend being out for months, and so much more.

Let's jump right into this week's rumors which we hope are true and those we hope aren't:

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#4. Hope is true: Vince McMahon reportedly sees young WWE Superstar as the next Edge

For over four decades, Vince McMahon has always actively scouted for the company's next big superstar. While he has taken a backseat in the past decade with the rise of NXT, he seems to be more hands-on with his approach of selecting top stars going forward.

Since NXT will be a project overseen by McMahon, he has a direct role to play in the push of several top stars. One young superstar who seems to be in his mind is Cal Bloom, now known as Von Wagner in NXT.

There were rumors about McMahon being high on Bloom over a year ago when the second-generation star made an appearance as an enhancement talent on SmackDown. According to Wrestlingnews.co, Von Wagner is reportedly viewed by Vince McMahon as the next Edge and a potential WrestleMania main eventer:

"Vince sees him as a future WrestleMania main eventer. That should tell you everything about his future here,” stated the report.

After over a year away from television, Wagner returned to WWE TV on the NXT 2.0 debut episode. He took Kyle O'Reilly's place in the Fatal-Four-Way match that crowned the brand's top champion.

Tommaso Ciampa walked out the victor and a two-time NXT Champion. However, the long-term focus will be on building Wagner as a potential future WrestleMania main eventer. Either way, it will be interesting to see how his career plays out.

We hope this is true because second-generation wrestler Von Wagner, son of Wayne Bloom, looks like he could be a top star in the future. Hopefully, he isn't pushed up to the main roster too soon.

#3. Hope isn't true: WWE's original plan for WrestleMania

WWE officially announced Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar at Crown Jewel 2021 next month. If Reigns beats Finn Balor and retains his title at Extreme Rules, then his match against Lesnar at the Saudi Arabia event will be for the Universal title.

If not, it will be a regular singles match. But it wasn't the company's original plan, to begin with. While having the match culminate at WrestleMania 38 would have made sense, WWE had something else in mind to drag the feud on for a year-and-a-half longer.

According to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, the original plan was for Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar to culminate at WrestleMania 39 in 2023:

“While that was expected in many circles since that’s the biggest money show of the year and thus justifies Lesnar’s asking price, it would mean a WrestleMania match between the two that was first earmarked for 2023 and then talked of earlier if Dwayne Johnson chooses to do Los Angeles (2023) and not Dallas (2022), would have to be a rematch of this bout,” said Meltzer.

We hope this isn't true because Reigns vs. Lesnar is a main event that has been done twice at WrestleMania. It seems like a disappointing plan, even if the face-heel dynamic between the two has changed.

#3. Hope is true: Backstage reaction to Big E's WWE title win

Big E's WWE Championship win has been highly celebrated by his colleagues and fans alike. It was a deserving world championship win, and arguably the best cash-in of the briefcase since Dean Ambrose/Jon Moxley in 2016.

It's hard to see moments that receive unanimous praise. If anything, Big E's WWE title win proves that when it's good, there are few things in the world better than professional wrestling.

It should come as no surprise that his world title win came as a huge morale booster. According to Mike Johnson of PWInsider, Big E is highly-regarded in the locker room, with all his peers happy for his success.

Sportskeeda Wrestling's Zain Jafri wrote:

"It was seen as a big deal, based on Big E's close relationship with members of the locker room. Johnson further stated that members of the SmackDown roster wished they could have been present in Boston for this momentous occasion."

We hope this is true because a boost in backstage morale is exactly what RAW needs. For a superstar close to Big E, seeing a superstar like him succeed undoubtedly sends a strong message across.

Hopefully, his WWE title win is the boost that RAW needs.

#2. Hope isn't true: Johnny Gargano's WWE contract expiring soon?

Johnny Gargano has been signed to a WWE contract for over five years now. In that time, he became the first NXT Triple Crown Champion, winning the brand's Tag Team titles, the NXT title, as well as the North American title.

Despite the success and his incredible string of matches in 2018-2019, Gargano never moved up to the main roster. It seems as though he never wanted the main roster move, and has been in the 'developmental' brand the whole time.

He has undergone a change in character during that time as well, and his most recent involvement was in the popular wedding segment on the NXT 2.0 debut.

However, Johnny Gargano might not be in WWE for too much longer. After seemingly surviving a round of cuts from NXT, Gargano's contract is set to expire on December 3rd, 2021, as per Fightful.

Sportskeeda Wrestling's Matt Black wrote:

"According to Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Select, Gargano's WWE contract will expire on December 3. While there have been no negotiations as of yet for getting a new deal done, the two sides are expected to start talks at some point this fall."

We hope this isn't true because Johnny Gargano is a valuable part of NXT. Even if he isn't called up to the main roster, he always deserves a spot on NXT TV.

#2. Hope is true: Backstage reason behind Big E's WWE title win

Big E's WWE title win was moved from the Draft to the latest episode of RAW. While the timing seemed right, that wasn't the original plan. The decision to put the title on the New Day member reportedly stemmed from some pressure that the company has faced recently.

According to Andrew Zarian of the Mat Men podcast, there was pressure towards WWE from the TV networks to treat RAW and SmackDown as equal shows. Due to the mammoth five-year, $1 billion deal from FOX for the Blue brand, the promotion has turned it into the "A-Show".

However, the title win was reportedly moved up to give the Red brand a big moment:

"Mat Men’s Andrew Zarian said there is pressure on WWE from the networks to treat Raw and SmackDown as equal shows. Big E winning the WWE championship was originally planned for his move to Raw during the upcoming draft, but it was moved up in order to give Raw something equally big after SmackDown had such a huge show at MSG. It was not a response to AEW Dynamite beating Raw in the key demo rating."

We hope this is true because it's important to put both brands on equal footing. WWE is usually quite blatant with which brand they prefer, and it isn't surprising that they were pressured to give RAW a much-needed big moment.

#1. Hope isn't true: Edge out of action from WWE for a few months?

Edge faced Seth Rollins in a SummerSlam rematch on WWE SmackDown's episode at Madison Square Garden. Rollins defeated The Rated-R Superstar in a dirty finish after hitting him with a low-blow while the referee wasn't looking.

It evened the score to 1-1, with a trilogy match being teased a week later. The Messiah called for a rematch to end their feud, with WWE fans expecting the blowoff match to take place at Extreme Rules this coming weekend.

However, it looks like that isn't the case. Edge's run as a part-timer means that his run isn't likely to extend until the end of September. According to Dave Meltzer of WON, Rollins' post-match assault on the Hall of Famer was meant to write him off WWE TV for a few months at least:

"Edge went out on a stretcher and was taken away in an ambulance. This will explain Edge not being around for a few months. Since Edge only works part-time it is easy to do injury angles to explain his being gone but there’s also a limit on how many you can do before it feels like you’ve seen it before," stated Meltzer.

We hope this isn't true because a blowoff match at the upcoming pay-per-view would have been the best option. Edge's run for 2021 could be over, and it seems odd to take him off TV while his feud with Seth Rollins was still hot.

#1. Hope is true: Plans for Bobby Lashley post-WWE title reign

While Big E's WWE title win was great, full credit must be given to Bobby Lashley - not only for his involvement in the epic Money in the Bank briefcase cash-in, but his entire title reign that lasted nearly seven months.

Lashley's title reign was nothing short of impressive, and it seems as though people backstage have recognized that. According to Cageside Seats, the company could be planning to reunite The Hurt Business now that Bobby Lashley isn't the World Champion anymore. Sportskeeda Wrestling's Shiven Sachdeva wrote:

"As per Cageside seats, there is speculation that The Hurt Business could be reuniting soon after Bobby Lashley's fall from the top of RAW's food chain. It was Benjamin and Alexander who had helped Lashley become the WWE Champion."

We hope this is true because this is the best possible direction for Lashley post-WWE title reign. It's hard to imagine him regaining the title back anytime soon, so a Hurt Business reunion would be a positive message to send to The All Mighty.