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Rumors are a mainstay in the world of pro-wrestling, especially when it comes to WWE. The company's biggest Superstars are world-renowned legends who have large fan followings in real life as well as on social media.
The inner happenings in the business are disclosed to third-party outlets by sources inside the company, and this practice sometimes reveals major storylines, returns, or title wins in advance. In many instances, these rumors turn out to be true, but there are times when they aren't. In the second case, Superstars mostly ignore the reports, but there are times when Superstars take it upon themselves to clear the air and publicly announce that the rumors are false. In this list, we will take a look at five big backstage rumors that WWE Superstars squashed.
#5 JBL says he didn't goad Brock Lesnar into tackling Big Show
Former WWE Champion JBL was recently a guest on UnSKripted with Dr. Chris Featherstone, where he answered a bunch of fan questions. JBL was asked about a rumor that made rounds a while ago, stating that he once goaded Brock Lesnar into tackling Big Show after a match at a house show. JBL confirmed that the incident did happen, but added that he wasn't involved in it in the slightest.
"No, I didn't. I heard that story. I was there. It was in Nashville. He tackled Big Show, they were just kinda fooling around. But no, I didn't goad him into it. That was... I'm responsible for a lot of stuff, but I'm not responsible for that. That's not true."
JBL shared several other stories about the former WWE Superstar
The story was told by former WWE Superstar Matt Morgan in an interview, earlier this year. JBL added that he had a lot of fun traveling with Brock Lesnar, and also revealed the name of a WWE legend that Lesnar respected.
#4 Edge shoots down rumors that he is returning to WWE
WWE Hall of Famer Edge made a big appearance at SummerSlam 2019, and delivered a devastating Spear on Elias. Following Edge's appearance, the rumor mill began running rampant with reports coming out that The Rated-R Superstar was on his way to make a return to WWE. Around the same time, a report stated that Edge had been medically cleared to get back in the squared circle. Edge went on to post a tweet soon after, putting down the rumors to rest.
The rumors about Edge's WWE return turned out to be true
As fans found out months later, Edge's tweet was just him trying to make sure that his eventual return would be a major surprise, and it certainly was. Edge made his return at the 2020 Royal Rumble match, and was a participant in the annual free-for-all. Edge went on to kick off a heated rivalry with long-time friend Randy Orton, and the duo exchanged wins at WrestleMania and Backlash. Edge suffered an injury during the second match, and has been out of action ever since.
#3 Rusev responds to rumors that he is quitting WWE
A short while before SummerSlam 2018, reports started coming out suggesting that WWE Superstar Rusev was on his way to leave WWE following The Biggest Party of the Summer. Rusev had done nothing of note for a long time at that point. His "Rusev Day" gimmick had become a thing of the past, and he hadn't received a main event run as the WWE Universe was expecting. WrestleMania 34 was the last straw, where Rusev had failed to win the United States title despite being super over with the fans. Around the time these rumors were making the rounds, Rusev cleared the air while interacting with a fan on Twitter.
Rusev's remaining WWE run left a lot to be desired
Rusev remained a mainstay in WWE for just over a year. The first half of his remaining stint was a forgettable one, and then he was then put into a storyline with Bobby Lashley, after his real-life partner Lana joined forces with The All Mighty on WWE TV. The angle didn't do much for Rusev, with Lashley coming out victorious on most occasions. Rusev was finally let go by WWE in April 2020.
#2 CM Punk is surprised to learn that "he hates Roman Reigns"
Back when WWE Backstage was still on air, CM Punk was making news on a regular basis courtesy of his controversial opinions on WWE and its storylines. Earlier this year, Punk interacted with a fan on Twitter and stated that Roman Reigns is the best member of The Shield. Another fan chimed in and stated that some people who think that he hates Reigns would turn the tweet into something else. Punk seemed genuinely surprised at the comment, and asked why would he hate The Big Dog.
CM Punk's jibe at Reigns following a major WWE announcement had added fuel to the fire
Punk had earlier reacted to the news of WrestleMania being held at the WWE Performance Center, and said that an empty arena will make sure that Reigns won't get booed. This led to rumors that Punk didn't like Reigns.
Back in late 2014, in his controversial in The Art of Wrestling podcast, Punk stated how WWE officials used to tell him the same thing over and over again: "ya gotta make Roman look really, really strong." This comment later acted as a catalyst for fans' aversion to Reigns' major push on the road to WrestleMania 31. The situation gave birth to rumors that there was animosity between Punk and Reigns.
Thankfully, Punk made it publicly known that he doesn't hate Roman Reigns, putting the rumors to rest.
#1 John Cena takes a shot at WWE 'insiders'
At SummerSlam 2013, John Cena met Daniel Bryan in the main event of the show, with the WWE title on the line. Cena lost the belt on that night, and later declared on WWE RAW that he was set to undergo surgery for a triceps tear, which would take him out for 4-6 months. Soon after, rumors began circulating that Cena was set to make a return in a non-wrestling role, while recovering from his surgery at the same time. Cena took to Twitter and took a shot at the 'insiders' who spread these rumors, making it clear that he was coming back as a wrestler.
John Cena went on to have another lengthy stint in WWE
Cena returned to WWE at the Hell In A Cell PPV, and defeated Alberto Del Rio to win the World title. Cena successfully defended the belt against Del Rio at the Survivor Series PPV, and then kicked off a feud with arch-rival Randy Orton. The above tweet is quite interesting in the sense that Cena only posts promotional tweets and positive quotes on his Twitter now, and you will never see him posting anything that's negative in the slightest, on his Twitter handle.
