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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 are a week away from the 2021 Royal Rumble, and things in WWE and elsewhere are heating up. Here are the biggest rumors of the week:
#5. Hope is true: The "next Brock Lesnar" spotted in WWE?
Any WWE star wouldn't like to be labeled as the second coming of any legendary Superstar, no matter how much of a compliment it is. But when it comes to Superstars like Brock Lesnar, there aren't many that resemble him in any way.
There's a reason why Brock Lesnar is considered a generational talent in WWE. Although some labeled Lars Sullivan as the next Brock Lesnar, the former NXT star's issues outside the ring has made fans forget about that label.
There is a 22-year old who has a shockingly close resemblance to Brock Lesnar - and he isn't even a wrestler. Parker Boudreaux is a football player. He has garnered a lot of attention, including a tweet from Paul Heyman:
When speaking to Lucha Libre Online, Parker Boudreaux stated his interest in professional wrestling/WWE as well and labeled himself as "the next big thing", a term used to describe Lesnar. Boudreaux also addressed the comparisons with The Beast Incarnate:
"I think Brock Lesnar is a tremendous athlete, and while I do take it as a compliment to be told we look alike, I look forward to people getting to see my own unique identity and character in professional wrestling, as well as watch me be my own person. I’m one of a kind. The Next Big Thing," said Parker Boudreaux.
According to Fightful, Parker Boudreaux was seen backstage at WWE in NXT:
Fightful says that Parker Boudreaux, a football player who has an uncanny resemblance to Brock Lesnar, was backstage at this week’s NXT.
We hope this is true because he's a young and exciting prospect. At just 22 years old, he has a bright future ahead, though we will admit that the Brock Lesnar comparisons may only hurt him in the long run.
#5. Hope isn't true: WWE still not locked on WrestleMania 37 world title matches?
Drew McIntyre and Roman Reigns seem poised to be WWE World Champions heading into WrestleMania 37. While Drew McIntyre's status as WWE Champion is less certain due to his upcoming Royal Rumble match against Goldberg, Roman Reigns being the Universal Champion at WrestleMania 37 seems certain.
Royal Rumble is just a week away as of this writing, and given that it's the beginning of the road to WrestleMania, one would assume that WWE has plans locked in for the two World title matches at The Grandest Stage Of Them All.
However, that doesn't appear to be the case. Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter reported that WWE doesn't have any concrete plan in place for the two World Championship matches:
"The reason there has been no television direction for the main matches at Mania and you don’t hear anything about them is because there isn’t any. The only thing we know is the top Raw championship matches are not locked in. On Smackdown, Reigns has two different opponents that are being considered so Bryan is not a lock"
We hope this isn't true, because booking matches without much build in the last month doesn't give them a big fight feel like it needs to.
#4. Hope is true: Drew McIntyre cleared for WWE return even before RAW?
Drew McIntyre was announced for RAW, presumably for the WWE title confrontation with Goldberg. But despite testing positive for COVID-19, Drew McIntyre didn't need two weeks to get a clearance to return.
According to PWInsider, there was hope that Drew McIntyre would be cleared for the Superstar Spectacle taping on Friday this past week.
Per PW Insider, WWE hopes Drew McIntyre will be cleared to be at the Superstar Spectacle taping on Friday.
While we haven't gotten any confirmation as of yet about a Drew McIntyre in-ring return at WWE Superstar Spectacle, we hope this is true, because it would mean that he had one of the quickest recoveries in the company.
Interestingly, Drew McIntyre's return wasn't the only one speculated for WWE Superstar Spectacle.
It shouldn't come as any surprise, however. Drew McIntyre stated that he was asymptomatic, though he warned WWE fans to take the virus seriously. But it's good to hear that he has recovered quickly, especially since he's scheduled for RAW this week.
#4. Hope isn't true: WWE's stance on COVID-19 vaccines for the talent
WWE has not been getting a good name with regards to how they've handled the COVID-19 situation. It took a lot of time to even start testing their employees, and once they did, quite a few positive cases broke out.
WWE made it clear that they wouldn't announce news about Superstars testing positive for COVID-19, but when WWE Champion Drew McIntyre tested positive, it was news they couldn't avoid sharing.
A new report from Fightful Select stated that WWE informed their talent that they would not be getting a COVID-19 vaccine through the company:
WWE talent were informed via their talent relations app recently that they would not be receiving a COVID-19 vaccine through WWE, and that it was their own responsibility to schedule and get said vaccine. This surprised several WWE talent, that were expecting this to be set up through WWE, while others that we spoke to figured because of the nature of their status as independent contractors that it would end up this way. There was a ton of frustration among talent that we've spoken to, who noted there are influential people near the top of WWE who actively speak against COVID. In the day since Drew McIntyre's announcement, several other names behind the scenes have tested positive for COVID.
We hope this isn't true, because it seems like a bad move from WWE from a PR and talent relations perspective. Since many Superstars have been coming to tapings even after the lockdowns began, the least WWE can do is provide the vaccines to the talent.
#3. Hope is true: WWE's future plans for Triple H
Triple H returned to WWE RAW earlier this month. While WWE Champion Drew McIntyre was originally scheduled to face Randy Orton that night, he tested positive for COVID-19, and Triple H filled in as his replacement.
It was a bit out of the blue since Triple H was inactive for all of 2020, and after his matches against Batista and Randy Orton in 2019, there wasn't much of a reason for him to return to WWE TV.
Triple H himself stated that he has become a full-time office guy in WWE and was glad to be excluded from WrestleMania 36. Any speculation of him continuing to appear on RAW has been shut down.
Cageside Seats reported that Triple H's return on RAW isn't going to lead to anything more:
Triple H’s recent return and match on Raw isn’t expected to lead to anything more and he’s back on the sidelines indefinitely.
We hope this is true because there isn't much of a reason for him to return to WWE programming. He should only be utilized when the time is right for a bigger stage. And if Triple H isn't interested in returning to WWE TV, then it's pointless to have him around unless needed.
#3. Hope isn't true: Big E's take on WWE's plans for Roman Reigns at WrestleMania
Big E has been one of WWE's fastest-rising singles stars in 2020. After the WWE Draft, he was separated from The New Day for the first time in six years, and it would mark the start of his journey as a singles star.
His Intercontinental Championship victory on the Christmas Day episode of SmackDown capped off another successful year, and he is currently being pegged as a Superstar WWE has big plans for in the future.
Speaking to Busted Open Radio, Big E gave his thoughts on WWE's potential plans for Roman Reigns at WrestleMania.
''They're going to go through a list of part-timers – big names and big money guys who work once a year. They're gonna go through that list and if they can't get all those guys booked for that Roman spot for WrestleMania, then it's kind of like, 'Now who do we look to who works here on a weekly basis who has actually been grinding and now maybe we give them an opportunity [laughing]?" (H/t: 411Mania)
We hope this isn't true, but given the opponents, Roman Reigns has faced at WrestleMania since 2015, it's a pattern that can't be denied, especially since WWE has always given Reigns the biggest moments and opportunities.
#2. Hope is true: WWE bringing in big names for WrestleMania 37?
WWE announced that WrestleMania 37 would be a two-night event just like its predecessor last year. To hold two big nights, there needs to be more than just two-three marquee matches.
WrestleVotes tweeted that WWE is working on four major matches for the two-night WrestleMania 37, and John Cena and Goldberg are among the names nearly locked in.
We hope the part about John Cena is true. While we admittedly have lesser interest in Goldberg continuing his WWE run in 2021, he is a big name that draws fans. The Undertaker returning wouldn't be a good look, but it seems as though he's now keen on staying retired.
John Cena returning would be a big boost to WWE for WrestleMania 37. He's a legend who has been appearing lesser by the year, and he's still able to go at a high level. He would be a welcome addition to WrestleMania 37. He hasn't returned to WWE since the Firefly Fun House match against Bray Wyatt at WrestleMania 36.
#2. Hope isn't true: WWE to be affected by USA Network's intake
The NBC Sports Network Station recently shut down, and the Sports Business Journal reported that NHL, Nascar, and the Barclays Premier League could find their new home in the USA Network - the home of WWE RAW and NXT.
That would be a massive move for USA Network, but given how big the acquisitions are, it means that WWE programming is likely to be affected in one way or the other.
Sportskeeda's Nithin Joseph wrote:
It is believed that NBCSN's Wednesday Night Hockey series moving to the USA Network could result in a change for WWE NXT, whose shows air on Wednesday nights.
PWInsider then speculated that RAW could be affected by the move:
In addition to this, it is also being speculated by PWInsider that weather delays could lead to NASCAR's Sunday programming being moved to Monday on the USA Network on occasion. This could have adverse effects on WWE's Monday Night RAW show.
We hope this isn't true, because WWE has arguably been among USA Network's most vital assets. With consistent ratings that cross 2 million, WWE shouldn't have their spot and timing affected.
#1. Hope is true: WWE planning a big re-debut of Aleister Black?
Aleister Black has been off WWE television since the Draft, where he was sent to SmackDown. His wife Thea Trinidad (Zelina Vega) was released from WWE, and the speculation was that he was purposely being kept off TV, and his future with the company was possibly bleak.
One part of that speculation may have been right - WWE purposely kept him off television. But it isn't for the reason fans think. According to Mike Johnson on PWInsider Elite, WWE is planning a big, dramatic debut for Aleister Black:
"I was told he was purposely pulled from television so he come back and have a big dramatic debut for SmackDown, and it just hasn't happened."
We hope this is true because the best run of his WWE main roster career was during Paul Heyman's tenure as Executive Director. He proved that he had the tools to be a main event star, and it's still possible. Hopefully, he gets the push that he deserves.
#1. Hope isn't true: WWE not planning to push Shinsuke Nakamura?
Shinsuke Nakamura had his best match in nearly five years in WWE on SmackDown when he ran through his opponents to nearly win a Gauntlet match. The opportunity to face Roman Reigns at Royal Rumble was taken away from him, and he even turned face in the process.
While that should have been a set up for him becoming a Universal title challenger at the very least, there doesn't seem to be any plan as such, as per WON:
Nakamura was not one of the two under consideration as of last week, even after the gauntlet.
We hope this isn't true, because Nakamura would have been a great choice as a WWE Universal title contender - even if it was on the road to WrestleMania. The face turn and Gauntlet match gave him momentum, and it doesn't make sense for WWE not to capitalize on it, especially when he would be a fresher opponent for Roman Reigns than Kevin Owens.
