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Everyone loves a good rumor, right? Something to talk about with other people over a water cooler. In WWE, everything moves so fast. Not just the Superstars in the ring, but also all the latest news and rumors that reach the public every single day.
With Super ShowDown now in the company's rear-view mirror, the company looks to build to Stomping Grounds, on route to the biggest party of the year, WWE SummerSlam.
Here are five rumors from wrestling this week that you really need to know.
Note: Please remember that every rumor presented here is just that, a rumor, something to have fun with. Whilst some may seem more likely than others, please take all of them with a grain of salt.
#5 Longer contracts for new talent
All Elite Wrestling has very quickly changed the wrestling world since it's inception in January this year, and no company has felt this shift more than WWE.
Several stars of the McMahon-led promotion have joined the new promotion formed by Cody Rhodes and the Young Bucks, including Chris Jericho, Dean Malenko in a backstage role, Jim Ross on commentary, and most recently Jon 'Dean Ambrose' Moxley.
In response, WWE is seemingly trying to lock down stars, as a report by the Wrestling Observer Newsletter claims that the company is trying to get new talent to sign five-year contracts instead of the standard three.
This definitely makes sense from a business standpoint, especially when you consider how public AJ Styles' contract negotiations were made recently, when the Phenomenal One negotiated with the company before re-signing his three-year contract.
#4 Original plans for Universal title
WWE Super ShowDown is in the history books, and much like its predecessors, the third Saudi Arabia show by the company was quite controversial.
A show that once again was marred in divisive booking, the show opened with Seth Rollins retaining his Universal Championship against Baron Corbin, but was left prone to a cash-in attempt by Mr. Money in the Bank Brock Lesnar.
Despite Lesnar's attempts, the Beastslayer thwarted a cash-in, though Brock is still the Money in the Bank holder as the bell never rang.
According to WrestleVotes, there was a plan for Lesnar to cash-in at the Saudi show but lose via disqualification, though obviously plans changed.
We're not sure why the changed occurred, as WWE have caught themselves in a catch-22: Either be criticized for Lesnar winning the title again, or criticized for the third-straight failed men's cash-in.
See WWE Super Showdown Live Updates, Highlights of event, & more on Super Showdown latest updates page
#3 NXT TakeOver New Japan
WWE NXT and New Japan Pro Wrestling are two of the most consistently-praised aspects of professional wrestling in 2019.
Both have their fair share of die-hard fans who support the product no matter what, though a war has been started between the two entities.
On August 31, NXT's UK branch will host a TakeOver show in Cardiff, Wales, the very same night that New Japan will be hosting their Royal Quest show just a few hours away in London, England.
This is reportedly deliberate, as the Wrestling Observer noted that WWE reportedly contacted a ticket company to see how the NJPW show was doing, and after discovering that tickets haven't been selling too well, decided to have the NXT UK TakeOver show on the very same night, directly competing with Royal Quest for sales.
#2 Charismatic Enigma back soon?
Jeff Hardy's leg injury at the hands of Lars Sullivan had huge ramifications for the former WWE Champion.
Part of the then-SmackDown Tag Team Champions, Hardy's injury caused him and his brother Matt to vacate the titles, and though Matt has remained an active part of the roster, the former champion has fallen dramatically down the card, with practically no storyline.
Things may be on the upturn though, as according to the PW Insider, Jeff is set to be examined this week to see how progress is going on rehabilitating his knee.
If the prognosis is good, Hardy could be back relatively soon, which would definitely come as great news for fans of the Charismatic Enigma, though other reports have suggested Jeff could be gone for the rest of the year.
The former World Champion's departure from SmackDown has certainly been felt, so the soon he's back the better.
#1 Women's match a no-go at Super ShowDown
WWE may declare themselves to be a champion of women's equality in sports, but their recent deal with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia tells a different story.
A controversial deal, to say the least, one of the main sticking points is the absence of female Superstars in any capacity at the shows, with the only female presence during the events being Renee Young on commentary.
According to the Observer, the WWE were informed that they would be allowed a women's match on the show and even flew out Alexa Bliss and Natalya for the event.
WWE hedged their bets, not advertising a historic bout between the two, which paid off, as clearly the match didn't happen.
WWE is still hoping for a women's match at some point in the decade-long deal, but now who can say for sure?
