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Welcome to this week's edition of wrestling rumors we hope are true and those we hope aren't! As of this writing, we're on the cusp of Survivor Series and the build to the show certainly has been interesting.
The overall review of the build has been a mixed one, with many feeling that the countless invasions that have happened over the weeks have taken a bit of novelty away from it, while the other side is simply happy that NXT is involved in the show.
By the time most of you read this, Survivor Series will probably be over but this article is about far more than just Survivor Series. In an interesting edition today, we not only look beyond Survivor Series but we even learn more about what lies ahead in the most exciting period of the year - Royal Rumble to WrestleMania!
We even learn about what WWE is doing to get CM Punk to return, a top wrestler potentially joining AEW over WWE and so much more. Let's get right into it!
#7. Hope is true: Vince McMahon compares an NXT superstar to Shawn Michaels
Mick Foley once said that to get pushed by Vince McMahon, you need to make him a fan of yours. It's no secret that Vince McMahon's all-time favorite wrestler is Shawn Michaels, which is why he was so high on AJ Styles as an in-ring performer.
However, he has reportedly found someone in NXT who he considers to be very Shawn Michaels-esque: The King of Bros Matt Riddle. He's reportedly very high on him, according to Wrestlingnews.co:
"Vince likes guys like Shawn who have that rebel mentality and he sees some of Shawn in Matt. Matt can rub some people the wrong way but he’s a good guy and he will do great when Vince calls him up. I think he’s a future world champion. Vince will try to tweak him but his personality will get him far."
We hope this is true because Riddle has always been a premier talent in wrestling, even before joining WWE. And if McMahon compares you to Shawn Michaels, it's almost a guaranteed world championship push. It worked out well for AJ Styles that way.
#6. Hope isn't true: Seth Rollins' post-Survivor Series feud
Seth Rollins is in a very precarious position right now. He's been getting increasingly unpopular with the WWE Universe and the company needs to do all they can to revitalize him to ensure he remains the face of RAW.
We firmly believe that he's still the best option for that spot in the long-run and whether people like to admit or not, he's still one of the best wrestlers in the world. According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, the upcoming Madison Square Garden show will feature him facing Erick Rowan, which possibly indicates that they are set for a feud post-Survivor Series.
This year’s version [of the MSG show] is a Raw show with three matches announced (which will likely all be changed), Rusev vs. Lashley, Rollins vs. Rowan (which means at least this week the idea is to put them together in a program) and Asuka & Sane vs. Flair & Lynch for the tag team titles."
We hope this isn't true because it's an underwhelming feud for him and Andrade is a far better option as it can get out much better matches and remind fans why Rollins is still among the best, while also giving Andrade the rub.
#6. Hope is true: Royal Rumble plans for the World Championships
Royal Rumble will kickstart the most exciting period of the year - WrestleMania season! You're probably wondering what WWE has lined up and while no rumors are floating about as to what feuds we can expect at WrestleMania, we may know what to expect in two vital matches at the Royal Rumble.
As you know, the World Championship matches at the Royal Rumble are important because the winners will most likely end up heading to WrestleMania as the World Champion. That will certainly be the case if Brock Lesnar wins. Now, to get right into it, what rivalries can we expect?
Currently, The Fiend Bray Wyatt is feuding with Daniel Bryan in a renewal of their rivalry from over 5 and a half years ago, while Brock Lesnar faces the ultimate underdog Rey Mysterio.
According to Cagesideseats, both rivalries are expected to continue up until Royal Rumble, which means that there won't be any major title changes at Survivor Series.
"There aren’t expected to be any title changes at Survivor Series, and both title programs will likely go all the way up to, and possibly through, Royal Rumble."
We hope this is true because these are both great feuds and stretching it till the Royal Rumble makes a lot of sense.
#5. Hope isn't true: Botched timing to SmackDown finish
Friday Night SmackDown, the final episode of WWE TV before Survivor Series, ended in expected chaos when RAW invaded and DX led the charge for NXT, resulting in a huge cluster of an invasion.
It was, of course, entertaining to watch, but many pointed out a major problem in the way it ended. It was abrupt and nobody stood tall. While that's a normal tactic to sell a PPV, something felt off about the timing of it all and it turns out that the problematic timing was exactly the case.
Fightful Select had reported that the show was supposed to end with Mustafa Ali hitting the Spanish Fly on Lio Rush from the top turnbuckle to the outside, but the botched timing meant that it was only shown on social media afterward:
“Saturday afternoon, Fightful Select was able to confirm with several people involved in the segment that SmackDown was originally supposed to go off the air with the Spanish Fly dive between Ali and Lio Rush. However, due to some issues with timing and cues, the plan went awry.”
We hope this isn't true because we missed out on a big moment to end the show, but it probably is since they technically did release the footage afterward.
#5. Hope is true: Backstage reaction to Samoa Joe's commentary and his in-ring return update
Samoa Joe has been out of action for a while now and many have wondered when he's going to return. Until then, he seems to have taken a temporary commentary role while Dio Maddin is absent. Maddin is still selling the attack from Lesnar.
Everyone loved the job that he did on the announcer's desk, including people backstage, according to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Dave Meltzer even noted that he was so good that you have to eventually consider making it permanent.
However, he's still an in-ring performer and the company knows how well-rounded he is. Once his thumb is healed, he will be back in action.
"A bright spot on the show was the work of Samoa Joe in the Dio Maddin spot as an announcer. He was fresh, quick, and got everything over with a no-nonsense delivery. Joe was so good in the role that you have to at least consider making it permanent.
"Joe is a regular wrestler and will be back in action when his broken thumb heals. We were told that everyone recognized how good Joe is."
We hope this is true because it's great that Samoa Joe is finally getting the recognition he deserves. He's one of the best minds in the business.
#4. Hope isn't true: Oney Lorcan requests release from WWE
Oney Lorcan has been with WWE since 2015 and has been an integral part of NXT. He's made several appearances on 205 Live as well. He's not a main event superstar or one who has World Championship potential, but not everyone needs to be and he probably understands that.
In a wrestling company, everyone has their role and Lorcan has his. He isn't an enhancement talent by any means but he's a hard-hitting, fast-paced and entertaining performer to watch and he knows how to get a crowd behind him. He fit perfectly into his role in WWE but perhaps that isn't enough for him, as he's reportedly requested his release from WWE according to PWInsider.
As with many other superstars (and we'll get to that in a bit), he probably won't be granted his release and may have to sit out the rest of his contract or be utilized minimally. He has since changed his Twitter handle back to his independent name "Biff Busick" and seemed to put out a passive-aggressive Tweet on the situation, which he has since taken down:
We hope this isn't true but in all likeliness, it probably is. We hope Oney gets his release if that's what he requested, even though he fits well in WWE.
#4. Hope is true: Marty Scull expected to join AEW or NJPW and not WWE
Marty Scurll has been a part of what many consider to be a sinking ship - Ring of Honor. The promotion has lost all its buzz and has only been getting negative press over the last year or so.
Scurll's contract with ROH reportedly ends around November and the previous speculation by Cageside Seats was that The Villain would be choosing either AEW or WWE. AEW made a lot of sense to fans since he's part of The Elite and can fit right back in with the top stars of the new promotion, namely Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks.
He would naturally be in a prominent spot, more so than WWE and he probably recognizes this since Scurll is now set to choose either AEW or NJPW when his contract expires, according to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.
We hope this is true because Scurll is a premier talent and shouldn't be wasted away in a company that has no momentum. It's a no-brainer that he won't be renewing his contract and we would hope that he joins his Elite friends in AEW.
#3. Hope isn't true: WWE still hasn't begun contract negotiations with Kairi Sane
Kairi Sane is in a good position in WWE right now. She's teaming with Asuka and The Kabuki Warriors are having a strong run as the Women's Tag Team Champions. They're about to cross 50 days as tag team champions and as of this writing, they don't seem to be losing it anytime soon (though that could change at TLC as they're rumored to face Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair).
Kairi Sane's contract with WWE is set to expire in 2020 and according to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, she's open to exploring her options while Asuka has no intention of leaving. However, Sportskeeda's own Tom Colohue has reported that WWE hasn't even begun negotiations with The Pirate Princess and isn't too worried about securing a new deal with her. He Tweeted, saying:
While it's good that WWE is so confident about it, we hope this isn't true because it seems like a risky move on the company's part while Sane can quietly negotiate with other companies. We hope that she sticks around.
#3. Hope is true: The Fiend to be protected for a future match against a "super guy"
Bray Wyatt has had a career resurgence in 2019 and has been the most protected superstar in the company, more so than popular names such as Brock Lesnar, Seth Rollins, and Roman Reigns, all of whom have tasted defeat at some point in the year.
The ultimate objective of giving a monster push to someone like The Fiend is ultimately for them to be defeated by someone down the line. However, there doesn't seem to be any plan for him to lose any time soon and rightfully so (which we'll get to it in another rumor).
According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Wyatt is reportedly being protected for a match against a "super guy"
Right now, Wyatt should be kept apart completely from Lesnar for a long time. With the push they are giving Wyatt, they need to protect him for the super guy, and that’s Lesnar, not Reigns, although those would be the two key programs."
We're not fans of the idea of Brock Lesnar beating The Fiend but do note that the rumor only says that they need to protect him for Lesnar and not to lose to Lesnar. We hope this rumor is true and the two men inevitably face off in the ring.
#2. Hope isn't true: The increasing number of names asking for a release in WWE is decreasing backstage morale
The good thing about wrestling now is the sheer variety of options that wrestlers have for employment. No longer is WWE the place to be and wrestlers and WWE themselves happen to be well aware of this.
As a result, they're doubling-down on contracts and ensuring that Superstars stay with the company. The Superstars who are requesting their release are constantly getting turned down and when we were talking about Oney Lorcan, we mentioned we'd get back to it.
Dave Meltzer on the Wrestling Observer Radio said that the fact that WWE is denying superstars their release is decreasing backstage morale and superstars feel that the company should let the ones who want to leave go:
"There’s a school of thought that all these guys that want to leave are there that aren’t happy and they are really not, that it just kind of like hurts morale, and it’s just better to let them go. But they are not letting them go. I know people who have argued to let people go. But they are not letting them go still. So until they do, you know all these guys be quiet, it’s easy for me to say."
We hope this isn't true because whether it's Luke Harper, Sin Cara, Mike Kanellis, or Oney Lorcan, it's a tough situation to be in.
#2. Hope is true: 205 Live cancellation was only this week and not a permanent move
This week's episode of 205 Live was canceled following the episode of SmackDown that saw the massive invasion. Rumors were floating about that 205 Live was officially canceled, confirming the long-standing rumors.
Due to the low ratings that it received on the WWE Network, the company has long been rumored to be scrapping the show, with the Cruiserweight Championship even moving to NXT.
However, that doesn't seem to be the case just yet. According to Ryan Satin of Pro Wrestling Sheet, the show was canceled due to the big DX invasion angle ending the show and not because it's in jeopardy. We hope this is true because 205 Live has still been good despite the low viewership and has been a platform for superstars to consistently put on good matches and have a good showing.
Keep 205 Live alive!
#1. Hope isn't true: WWE using superstars to goad CM Punk into an in-ring return
Renee Young, on WWE Backstage, asked CM Punk the question about his desire to return and he made it clear that he doesn't want to return to the ring. That hasn't stopped the likes of Seth Rollins from calling him out actively and making comments against him and various reports have stated that WWE is hopeful that Punk will do business with them again.
Tom Colohue said that the company is encouraging superstars to goad Punk into returning by calling him out, saying:
A number of members of the current locker room, as well as some notable wrestling legends, have been encouraged by management or production staff to reach out and connect with CM Punk with a view to convincing Punk to approach WWE management about an in-ring return. This has already started with names such as Seth Rollins and Booker T connecting with or speaking highly of CM Punk in public. There is apparently many more connections being made in private.
We hope this isn't true because goading Punk into it is something that won't make him happy. He's not stupid and knows what the intention is, so if they want him to return, they should wait it out and think of a better approach than this. While we understand this approach, it's not the right one and it won't work.
#1. Hope is true: Bray Wyatt to be Universal Champion after WrestleMania 36
Bray Wyatt, as we mentioned earlier, has been the most protected superstar in WWE this year. It has resulted in him winning the Universal Championship and he's now on SmackDown where the title is blue and he has renewed his feud against Daniel Bryan after over half a decade.
With WWE protecting The Fiend as much as they are, many have wondered whether his title reign as Universal Champion will end at WrestleMania 36. However, Tom Colohue said on Twitter that the rumblings as of now are that The Fiend will be champion even after WrestleMania 36.
We hope this is true because the Universal Championship needs a long reign that isn't a part-time one. Wyatt is the perfect person to hold the title right now since he has a lot of momentum and it's clear that WWE is going all out with him this time around.
If that's the case, WrestleMania 36 is far too soon to end his run and it won't be the right time to tell a story where The Fiend loses. Hopefully, he has a very long run with the title that lasts long after WrestleMania 36.
