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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 currently in the midst of the build to TLC, but it was AEW that caused a lot of buzz this week with the unexpected arrival of Sting.
While we'll visit that aspect later, we've gathered some of the big rumors of the week and analyze why we hope they're true or untrue.
#5. Hope isn't true: Real-life heat on a backstage figure in WWE
In the WWE hierarchy, everything goes through Vince McMahon. He's on top of the ladder, and from a creative standpoint, there's only one person close to his level - Bruce Prichard.
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PWInsider reported that WWE Executive Director Bruce Prichard calls the shots from a creative standpoint. However, it has also led to heat among talent. Sportskeeda's Lennard Surrao wrote:
It was added that from a creative standpoint, everything flows through Bruce Prichard. In fact, for Vince McMahon, Bruce Prichard's word is considered to be 'very much the gospel.' However, Bruce Prichard has also given rise to a considerable degree of frustration and heat amongst the talent, which is all because of his position in the company and the decision-making duties that are handed to him.
The report added that Triple H was in charge of this past episode of RAW and that it was a "breath of fresh air" for many people. We hope that Bruce Prichard having backstage heat isn't true, but it's highly possible.
Bad creative management can reflect in poor television and can often deteriorate backstage morale. While most WWE Superstars have returned from their hiatuses in the COVID-19 era, it isn't a good sign for RAW if it's true.
Paul Heyman previously held the creative head role of RAW, but there were reportedly mixed reactions to that from talent as well.
#4. Hope is true: WWE planning an interesting character change on RAW?
Bray Wyatt resumed his feud with Randy Orton, three-and-a-half years after their last one ended. However, it's an entirely different Bray Wyatt, and WWE knows this. The Fiend has taken a life of its own, and with Alexa Bliss by his side, his character has taken yet another turn.
However, there could be another major twist yet. According to Dave Meltzer on the Wrestling Observer Radio, WWE is planning to use the feud to turn Bray Wyatt and Alexa Bliss babyface:
Sportskeeda's Vatsal Rathod wrote:
On the recent Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer revealed that the plans are for Bray Wyatt and Alexa Bliss to be the babyfaces in their feud with Randy Orton on RAW. The booking is questionable considering how Wyatt cost Orton his match and Alexa Bliss murdered the innocent 'Friendship Frog' during an episode of Firefly Fun House. Although, this week The Fiend showed signs of vulnerability.
Meltzer noted that Orton is believed to be the master heel and will be used to propel the duo into a babyface role. We hope this is true because it would be an interesting new direction to take with The Fiend Bray Wyatt.
#4. Hope isn't true: A big argument backstage in WWE over A Moment of Bliss segment
This past week, RAW opened with a weird A Moment of Bliss segment featuring Randy Orton, Alexa Bliss, and The Fiend Bray Wyatt. It was a rather bizarre segment, even by WWE standards.
However, a report from PWInsider revealed that there were contradictory opinions backstage in WWE about the segment. While it was described as "100% Vince McMahon vision," several people backstage didn't like the segment.
Sportskeeda's Lennard Surrao wrote:
It has been revealed that the opening segment was '100% Vince McMahon's vision'. It was additionally reported that several people backstage argued against the RAW segment, as they felt it was weak and needed a lot of work before it was aired. There were calls for the segment to be overhauled, but it's nearly impossible to overrule the boss. It was added that WWE had enforced an important new edict regarding time cues during the broadcasts. The report states that several Superstars were pulled up for going over the prescribed time slot at Survivor Series and the shows that have followed. The segments extended the time limit has also led to the producers facing some degree of heat.
Ultimately, the segment played out the way Vince McMahon wanted to and WWE could have done better with it. We hope it isn't true but we wouldn't be surprised to see a lot of opposition to the segment.
#3. Hope is true: Positive news on Braun Strowman's WWE return status
It was rumored that WWE's initial plan was for Braun Strowman to challenge Drew McIntyre for the WWE Championship at TLC. While that would have been a perfect match, an injury made WWE change those plans.
On the RAW after Survivor Series, Braun Strowman got into an altercation with on-screen authority figure Adam Pearce, leading to a storyline suspension. It was reportedly done to write out Braun Strowman, who supposedly injured his knee or leg at Survivor Series.
Ultimately, WWE went with AJ Styles as Drew McIntyre's opponent at TLC after the former won a Triple Threat match on RAW involving Keith Lee and Matt Riddle.
According to Bryan Alvarez on WOL, Braun Strowman is injured, but it isn't a major one, and he's only rehabbing it:
“The story, as noted, is that Braun was scheduled to face Drew McIntyre at TLC but he got the leg injury and he is rehabbing it. I didn’t hear anything about surgery, just that they are rehabbing it. Presumably, he won’t be out that long but I guess we’ll see.”
We hope this is true because it means that Braun Strowman will return to WWE sooner than expected.
#3. Hope isn't true: WWE tried to emulate a 14-year-old storyline with Chelsea Green?
Chelsea Green has had some terrible luck in WWE so far. While she spent time between 2018 to 2020 in NXT, she was already main roster ready, and the plan seemed to be for her to make her official main roster debut in 2020.
While that happened, it hasn't panned out well for Chelsea Green or WWE due to her suffering badly-timed injuries. Most recently, she suffered a wrist injury when attempting to qualify for the SmackDown Women's Survivor Series team.
According to Fightful Select, there was a plan in place to replicate the Trish Stratus-Mickie James obsessed fan storyline from 2005-06. Sportskeeda's Lennard Surrao wrote:
The plan had gone well beyond the phase of discussions, and it was noted that a solid set of plans were laid out for the angle. Mickie James would have played Trish Stratus' role in the rebooted 2020 edition of the storyline, with Chelsea Green being the obsessed fan. It was additionally reported that Chelsea Green and Mickie James had filmed content to begin the storyline on TV. The angle was locked in, but it was abruptly scrapped hours before it was supposed to go on air.
We hope this isn't true. While it's a nice tribute on paper, it would be lazy to retell the story in WWE using the same character in another role. It would have been interesting and likely would have drawn interest, but it didn't seem like the ideal one to redo for WWE.
#2. Hope is true: WWE's position on fans for the Royal Rumble
It's hard to believe that January and February were the only months where we saw full-fledged crowds in WWE. While the crowds were present until mid-March, things changed, and the COVID-19 pandemic meant that WWE was forced to start holding shows in empty arenas.
Eight months later, nothing seems to have changed. However, we are getting closer to talks of easing fans back into the arena. AEW and multiple sports leagues have already started the process, and WWE will be looking to get back into that as well.
After TLC, the next major pay-per-view is Royal Rumble in January. It's hard to imagine such a vital pay-per-view in WWE without a crowd present, and according to WrestleVotes, WWE is putting a deadline for finding out whether they can get crowds back for Royal Rumble.
We hope this is true because WWE needs to plan accordingly, and the sooner they know the status, the better. However, if it planned for Florida, then getting crowds back seems certain.
#2. Hope isn't true: Still major backstage heat on Jaxson Ryker in WWE
If there's an example of how one tweet can stall and ruin careers, just look at the case of Jaxson Ryker in WWE. After posting a tweet in favor of former US President Donald Trump at the peak of the Black Lives Matter movement, he got so much heat from his peers that he, alongside Steve Cutler and Wesley Blake, were taken out of TV.
The Forgotten Sons had just debuted and were set for a high-profile feud against WWE Tag Team greats The New Day. However, the tweet saw them all taken out, and The Forgotten Sons as a trio were dissolved.
Recently, Steve Cutler and Wesley Blake returned as King Corbin's henchmen, and Jaxson Ryker was notably absent. According to Fightful Select, there is still major heat in WWE on Jaxson Ryker, to the point where he wasn't even at Orlando, nor was he on the internal WWE roster sheet:
“As if Friday wasn't indication enough, there's still heat on Jaxson Ryker within WWE. As we mentioned recently, Ryker had been home in North Carolina and hadn't been brought to Orlando to the site of WWE tapings in months. At one point, Ryker wasn't even featured on internal WWE roster sheets.”
We hope this isn't true because it seems like an extreme reaction to an ill-timed tweet. It seems pointless holding him back and keeping him on the roster without even utilizing him.
#1. Hope is true: Backstage reaction in WWE to the Kevin Owens-Roman Reigns feud
Roman Reigns vs. Kevin Owens is the Universal Title feud that WWE has gone with on SmackDown, and it will likely be the final one of 2020. Roman Reigns has given SmackDown a new lease of life with his heel turn and Universal Title run. But Kevin Owens hasn't been doing too bad himself.
According to Fightful Select, WWE personnel backstage have been pleased with Kevin Owens in this feud as well as Roman Reigns' performances:
The report states that the reactions to Kevin Owens' angle with Roman Reigns have been very positive. It was additionally reported that Roman Reigns' performances after returning at SummerSlam and the execution of all the angles since his comeback have been well-received.
We hope this is true because both men deserve credit for making WWE programming better. It's a solid World Title feud to have, and there's more interest given that their 2016-17 feud saw them have a rivalry with the roles reversed. The dynamic is interesting this time around.
#1. Hope isn't true: WWE had no interest in Sting vs. Undertaker
Sting's arrival in AEW shocked everybody, especially considering that he's a WWE Hall of Famer. Sting retired as an in-ring performer in 2015 and likely won't be taking any bumps in AEW. But the fact that he's there as a television character makes it all the more interesting.
According to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, the reason Sting was underutilized by WWE was the fact that they had no interest in him as a TV character. To add to it, Vince McMahon didn't see the appeal in a cinematic dream match between Sting and The Undertaker:
WWE had no interest in him as a television character. Khan wants to make him a regular television character, although he very clearly has to be protected when it comes to not taking bumps. Still, it is known Sting wanted to do a Cinematic match with Undertaker, and for whatever reason, while fans have clamored for Undertaker vs. Sting for years, it has never been a match that appealed to McMahon.
We hope this isn't true, but given how Sting was utilized in WWE, it isn't surprising at all.
