Like it or not, we live in a time of instantly accessible rumours and speculation concerning professional wrestling. All it takes is the subtlest tweet or social media post to set the internet wrestling community off on a series of articles, counter articles and comments.
Existing in such an environment means it can be difficult for the big wrestling companies to keep things under wraps. The WWE Universe is just more difficult to shock these days compared to years gone by.
Also read: 10 top current WWE Superstars and their age when they debuted with the company
That being said, there are certain events in the industry that would still rock the world of wrestling even if they were leaked early. Some scenarios are just so big and newsworthy that no matter what circumstances they happen under, they will be received with a huge amount of attention by all. Here are five such scenarios that could still happen in 2017:
#1 Ronda Rousey challenges for a WWE Women’s Championship
Of the many UFC athletes Vince McMahon and Triple H would love to tempt over to the WWE, Ronda Rousey would surely be one of the most desirable. A move to the world of professional wrestling also became slightly more possible after it was widely reported that Rousey was in attendance for the Mae Young Classic tournament.
Rousey was allegedly there to support her real life friend Shayna Bazler who is taking part in the classic this summer. Whatever the reason, all parties involved must have known that having one of the UFC’s biggest stars appear at a WWE taping would have set the rumour mills turning like nothing else.
All this renewed speculation has made a Rousey appearance somewhat likely, or at least as likely as it has been for some time. Whether it’s a long-term contract agreement, or just a one off at Summerslam or Survivor Series, seeing Ronda Rousey compete in a WWE ring in 2017 is not out of the question by any means.
If the company does manage to get her on board, it would make sense to throw her immediately at a championship. This would raise the prestige of the belt, having Ronda compete for it or maybe even hold it for a short time. The question is, who should she face?
The obvious choice would be Charlotte, who is generally considered the company’s top female star. She has the abilities in the ring to match up with Ronda and also brings the name recognition with her, making the bout that much more special. Personally, however, a match with Asuka would be the preferred option.
It would be difficult getting her up to the main roster in time, but given the sheer dominance of the Empress of Tomorrow in recent months, a straight match up between these two would feel like the most exciting, if not the most likely.
#2 Conor McGregor and Floyd Mayweather cut promos on RAW
Keeping with the inter-promotional theme, another fairly likely possibility to happen in the next month or so would be a face to face altercation between Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor ahead of their blockbuster attraction in August. Triple H has already invited the pair to RAW, so the wheels on this have essentially started rolling already.
The showdown would certainly bring many eyeballs to the WWE product, many of which might not even watch wrestling at all. Just having two of the biggest superstars in the world in one place is enough to move a huge amount of tickets.
However, it would still be a wrestling promotion dedicating a large portion of its airtime to a non-wrestling related occasion. At least when the WWE bring in other stars from outside the sport, they write it into the larger narrative going on in the company at the time.
Of course, they could incorporate some WWE guys into the segment, maybe bringing out Triple H and John Cena who have the name recognition and fame to appeal to non-wrestling viewers. It might also be a good opportunity to see how WWE’s best talker fairs against the greatest trash talker on the planet right now in McGregor.
If it were to happen, there isn’t a lot of time left to sort it. McGregor and Mayweather are due to fight on August 26th, leaving only five episodes left until the big day. Another problem is the PG issue.
Can the company trust Conor to keep it family friendly, especially when he’s face-to-face with the man he wants to humiliate in the ring? This showdown might be possible, and probably easy enough to organise, but it probably also comes with the biggest risks for Vince.
#3 Kenny Omega suggests a move to WWE
Working on the premise that IWGP United States Champion Kenny Omega is contracted to NJPW until early 2019, it’s probably safe to rule out any kind of collaboration between him and WWE at any point before then.
What could potentially happen, however, is that Omega, much to the chagrin and anger of New Japan, announces his intentions to work for Vince McMahon when his contract is up. All it would take would be one tweet or Tumblr post cryptically suggesting he is open to the idea, and the internet wrestling community would go crazy.
For now, Kenny Omega’s future plans do not seem to involve WWE in any form. The man is eager to help his promotion climb the ladder of relevance in the US, helping them to strengthen their foothold in the American market. We also live in a time where given you are dedicated and talented enough, you can turn yourself into a wrestling megastar without the help of the McMahons.
While he may be happy enough with his current situation right now, surely a man of Kenny Omega’s ambition will want to know whether he can make it in the WWE. Not all former Japenese/Indie stars do thrive under Vince, but that will probably act as even more motivation for Omega to break the mould. AJ Styles and Finn Balor have been able to set the bar pretty high in this regard, and there’s no reason to assume Omega wouldn’t be doing the same.
Will we know more about his future plans before this year is now? Only time will tell.
#4 Paige returns to WWE and hits a shoot promo
For all the wrong reasons, Paige has probably been the WWE’s most culturally relevant superstar at the moment, finding herself on the wrong side of worrying headlines involving her real life partner, Alberto El Patron. A Paige return to WWE sometime this year is bound to be a big occasion that would set the internet world into a frenzy.
Paige is still contracted to WWE, so a return in itself wouldn’t be all that shocking. However, given the circumstances that have surrounded her during her absence, the returning former Divas Champion would certainly have a lot to say for herself. The WWE, if handled correctly and sensitively, could stand to gain a lot financially out of a Paige return, especially if she was coming back to ‘reveal all’ about her life with El Patron.
Paige can hold her own when it comes to talking on the microphone, and if she was allowed to voice her opinions openly and freely, we could have one of the best shoot promos on our hands since CM Punk’s back in 2011.
It wouldn’t just be the issues with El Patron on her mind either, there has also been the scandal involving her leaked pictures and her numerous violations of WWE’s wellness policy. The company would have to be in a position to trust Paige of course, as she has done quite a lot recently to prove how much of a loose cannon she can be.
But a return to WWE would be seen by many as the start of a slow climb back to credibility for Paige, someone with a lot of raw talent and an obvious mind for professional wrestling as a whole.
Let’s hope, for her sake, that a return is on the cards soon, and maybe we can get a few shoot interviews from her for good measure.
#5 CM Punk returns
Something else that has set the wrestling rumour mills in motion this week was the announcement by RAW General Manager Kurt Angle that he would like to see CM Punk return to a WWE ring.
If there’s anything in wrestling that would cause the biggest headlines, surely it would be the return of the Straight Edge Superstar who left the company so unceremoniously back in 2014.
The breakup was certainly a messy one, with Punk voicing his frustrations with the company on a podcast soon after his exit. The WWE has also not helped the situation, sending Punk his termination papers on his wedding day and taking little jibes at the man after his less than impressive UFC performance.
But in professional wrestling, never say never does actually mean something. Who would have foreseen a thawing of relations between the WWE and Hulk Hogan, Ultimate Warrior or even Randy Savage?
Whatever your thoughts concerning CM Punk’s retirement from WWE, you can’t deny that the man made the company culturally relevant after his feud with John Cena and Vince McMahon back in the summer of 2011. Punk could give the company some of that relevance back and possibly even bring new eyeballs to the product.
And given the fact that WWE now has a brand split, Punk could theoretically return and not have to work in close proximity to either Triple H or Stephanie McMahon. One could imagine the former WWE Champion having a much healthier relationship with Shane and Daniel Bryan over on Smackdown Live. Plus, who wouldn’t want to see a showdown between the Second City Saviour and Shinsuke Nakamura?
Make it happen, WWE!
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