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Welcome to another week's edition of wrestling rumors we hope are true and those we hope aren't! It's been a wild week in the world of wrestling and this will be the final edition of this article before the big week begins. Next week, not only does the SmackDown on FOX era begin, but AEW Dynamite starts as well.
It's certainly going to be exhilarating to see how they all go up against each other. Naturally, NXT will be planning something big to draw viewers away from AEW, while AEW will need something huge as well.
Moreover, Friday Night SmackDown will be the second-last episode of WWE TV where the Wild Card rule will be implemented. Since it is the first SmackDown on FOX, we have a stacked card that looks incredible on paper. Championships will change hands, careers will end and a whole new era will begin.
But that's a whole week away. This week, we're going to bring you all the latest exciting rumors and analyze which we hope are true and which we hope aren't!
Also read: 5 things Vince McMahon shouldn't do at the WWE draft but probably will
#5. Hope is true: Paige's return to WWE television
Paige may not be able to step inside the ring and compete ever again, but that doesn't mean that her role in WWE should end anytime soon. She's still a great talker and has a great presence and could be utilized in many different ways.
PWInsider has reported that Paige will be making an on-screen return very soon and is expected to be a part of the SmackDown on FOX premiere. While she has been the manager of the Kabuki Warriors, it's unclear as of this writing whether that is the role she resumes with.
Either way, we hope it's true because she deserves to be back on-screen in a good capacity.
#5. Hope isn't true: Creative chaos amidst the WWE draft
According to Sportskeeda's own Tom Colohue, the backstage creative status has been in shambles due to the upcoming WWE Draft. Colohue said:
Sources explained to me that the Creative team is working incredibly hard backstage with little idea as to what the creative landscape will look like when the draft is completed. There is a shared concern that ongoing storylines, such as the one between Erick Rowan and Roman Reigns, may have to be hastily rewritten to accommodate a change. Some writers have taken to drafting out multiple possible routes based on those possibilities.
Essentially, creative members are being kept in the dark about the draft changes and as a result, they have to scramble and write out all potential options while possibly ending long-term storylines abruptly and even canceling some.
We sincerely hope that this isn't the case because it seems rather unwise to make creative members scramble just for the sake of keeping the drafts a secret. While we do understand WWE not wanting to leak the major drafts, it still seems like a very roundabout way to go about it.
Also read: 5 harsh realities about the upcoming WWE draft that nobody wants to talk about
#4. Hope is true: CM Punk working with WWE becoming a reality?
WWE's move to FOX means that they will be getting a show on FS1. CM Punk has surprisingly been one of the names they've approached to try out hosting the show, according to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.
That proved to be the first update in this saga. Now, PWInsider has provided some big insight into the situation. Firstly, CM Punk was reportedly flown into Los Angeles and he did some screen-testing with Renee Young.
The reports seem to consistently state that Punk pleased the necessary people and will be offered the role in all likelihood. FOX could offer him the role purely for the interest he generates and we really hope that this rumor is true. The reason for this is CM Punk's return to WWE would be the most unconventional one and it would happen in the most unexpected way.
For those reading and hoping for his in-ring return, don't count your chickens before they hatch as he will be under contract with FOX and not necessarily just WWE. With that said, never say never to these kinds of things.
#4. Hope isn't true: CM Punk has backstage heat in AEW
It seems as though CM Punk and AEW's bridge has been burned. The reason for this is because of what he said in an interview with ESPN.
"The last thing I got -- I got a text from Cody [Rhodes]. And again, I almost don't even know how to reply to them sometimes, because if I reply, they do interviews and are like, "Oh yeah, I just talked to Punk." I'm kind of damned if I do, damned if I don't. I always think if somebody wants to do business with me, they can come talk to me. Texting offers isn't really a way to do good business, at least."
Dave Meltzer on the Wrestling Observer Radio was informed that AEW and CM Punk are not on good terms anymore.
It was pretty much told to me that they would never - they felt very disrespected by what he said, and they should have if you know what the real story was and I can’t go into too much detail, but I do know it, and, you know, it’s Punk.”
We hope this isn't true as AEW would have been a great place for him to debut. Unfortunately, such things happen and there has been a clash of egos.
#3. Hope is true: The Usos set for a return soon
The Usos have had some issues in their personal lives, with Jimmy Uso being hit with DUI charges multiple times this year alone. Ever since the last one, the multi-time tag team champions have been off-screen even though the RAW tag team division has definitely needed their presence.
Thankfully, they've managed to coast along and now as things calm down a bit, it seems as though they are ready for a big return to television. According to WrestlingInc, The Usos are all set for a return on the SmackDown premiere on FOX this coming Friday.
The tag team are currently members of the RAW roster. They have not appeared on television since the July 29th episode of RAW, where The OC defeated the brothers and then-RAW Tag Team Champions The Revival for the titles. Days before the match, Jimmy Uso was arrested for DUI in Pensacola, Florida on July 25th.
We really hope this is true because the tag team division needs a boost in the form of The Usos. Hopefully, they remain on the RAW roster and don't switch back to the blue team.
Also read: 5 reasons why Daniel Bryan quietly turned babyface at a WWE live event
#3. Hope isn't true: WWE extends Dash Wilder's contract
Before we get to it, we must admit that this one is based more on the principle rather than the extension alone. Basically, Dash Wilder has had his contract extended by another ten weeks or two-and-a-half months because of an injury he sustained two years prior. The Wrestling Observer Newsletter wrote:
While The Revival’s contracts are up in April, WWE has extended Daniel Wheeler’s (Dash Wilder) deal by another ten weeks due to the period he was out of action in 2017 with a broken jaw.
We hope this isn't true because it comes off as a rather petty move. They did something similar to Luke Harper, except in his case, they refused to grant him his release and extended his contract by half a year.
Apparently, WWE really values The Revival and wants them to stay, which is why they're trying to extend their contract as much as they can and get them to re-sign. This probably means good things for The Revival who, creatively, are more satisfied than ever before.
#2. Hope is true: John Morrison returning to WWE
John Morrison has been away from WWE for 8 years now. It was in 2011 that he left and since then, he has had quite a successful wrestling career and non-wrestling pursuits as well. Not only has he won World Championships in Impact Wrestling, Lucha Underground and AAA, but he has also become a big star and landed roles in movies.
It's clear that he doesn't need WWE, nevertheless, PWInsider reported that Morrison has signed with the company again! This is absolutely great news because he has always been an exceptional talent wherever he has gone.
WON reported that the deal was on the table for a very long time, but Morrison waited it out as he wanted to break into mainstream acting. That's a fair call on his part and it helps that he now has leverage in negotiations with WWE. It's going to be really interesting to see how things play out.
And yes, we know that Morrison himself responded and "rubbished" the reports, but what else would you expect him to do? PWInsider is as reliable as it gets and his return is almost a guarantee.
#2. Hope isn't true: Jerry Lawler's return to be a short one
As you probably know by now, SmackDown's debut on FOX is set to shake-up the announcers' team entirely. Renee Young will host a show - something she's good at - while Corey Graves teams up with Michael Cole.
RAW, meanwhile, has two new faces in Vic Joseph and Dio Maddin, who will pair up with Jerry "The King" Lawler. Lawler's hiring was more of a Vince McMahon call because he didn't want two fresh faces to be the voices of the Flagship show. Fair enough, if you ask us.
Unfortunately, Lawler's return won't be a prolonged one. Pro Wrestling Sheets' Ryan Satin has reported that Lawler's return will be a very short one. That's unfortunate because he is a better option than Jonathan Coachman and will serve well as the veteran voice.
However, if it leads to Michael Cole going back to RAW and Byron Saxton going back to SmackDown, then only good things can come out of this!
#1. Hope is true: The winner of the "Loser leaves WWE" ladder match
SmackDown's premiere on FOX will see a high-stakes match-up without a title on the line! Kevin Owens and Shane McMahon's rivalry will come to a head, where the loser will have to leave WWE.
WWE is moving in a new direction and it appears that the concept of authority figures are going to be done away with. As a result of that, Owens will be winning the ladder match, according to WrestlingNews.co
“I was told that the feud will end with Owens winning and McMahon no longer being involved as an authority figure because WWE is going to present a more sports-like product with more conclusive finishes and less interference from non-wrestling characters.”
Obviously, we hope this is true because this is the direction that WWE needs to go in. Shane McMahon winning the ladder match wouldn't make sense and would be a huge deflator for the debut episode on FOX. This is a must-win match for Owens and it seems like he will be staying put.
#1. Hope isn't true: Paul Heyman pushing for the "next Goldberg"
Paul Heyman wants a certain Superstar to be the next Goldberg, where he comes in - wreaks havoc and just leaves. However, it's not going to be any other Superstar. It's going to be his Superstar - his client, Brock Lesnar.
You read that right. Paul Heyman wants Brock Lesnar to transition into a Goldberg-kind of a role, according to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.
Heyman wants Goldberg as an occasional character who comes in and destroys people, as the old legend, somewhat reminiscent of the role Bruno Sammartino played when Bob Backlund was champion. Long-term the idea would be Goldberg in that role for several more years, and eventually that role would go to Lesnar.
We hope this isn't true because it doesn't make sense to push Lesnar like Goldberg. Lesnar and Goldberg have crossed paths before, but just because they're two extremely dominant Superstars, it doesn't mean that WWE has to push Lesnar in that role.
The two men are different in their own right and Lesnar should be treated for the special attraction that he is. He should be phased out at the right time and never return - maintaining that aura that he has.
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