Top 5 WWE Rumors of the week

The fallout week after Extreme Rules has been an interesting one. Raw saw two Triple Threat matches to determine the next contenders for the Universal Title but was otherwise not a very interesting affair SmackDown was quite an interesting watch as it kicked off some brand new storylines, including the much-awaited feud between The Miz and Daniel Bryan.

Also, since we are officially on the road to one of the 'Big 4' pay-per-view - SummerSlam - the rumour mill has been working overtime speculating regarding the matches set to take place at the Biggest Party of the Summer.

So, let us delve right into the top rumours this week in the world of pro wrestling. Watch this space every Friday for this weekly feature.

Honourable mentions:

It was Kevin Dunn who made the call to remove the clock from the Titantron at Extreme Rules, to stop the crowd from counting down like at the Royal Rumble.

The Intercontinental Title match main-evented Extreme Rules due to wide support backstage to end the show with it, instead of Styles vs Rusev.

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#5 WWE signing a few indie stars?

Green as Laurel Van Ness in Impact Wrestling

The Mae Young Classic has been announced for 8th and 9th August this year and the show is sure to feature many upcoming talents from all over the world. With the tournament closing in, there has been talk about WWE signing on a couple of independent wrestlers this past week.

Last month, former Impact Wrestling Robbie E and Chelsea Green were spotted at the Performance Centre during a WWE tryout. Green is a former Tough Enough contestant, having been a part of the show back in 2015, and later a star in Impact Wrestling. Currently, she is making quite a mark on the independent scene.

Yesterday, Green stirred up the internet when she canceled a few future dates, with fans speculating that the reason behind this was that she was returning to WWE. However, that might not have been the case, at least not according to Green herself. But, even if she has not signed with WWE as of yet, it is certainly a possibility in the near future.

In other news, indie star and current Women’s Champion of The Crash Lucha Libre Lucey Lane has supposedly signed a developmental contract with the WWE. However, neither party is yet to confirm the same.

#4 Jeff Hardy being written off television?

Brother Nero is supposedly working through multiple injuries

There has been word going around since quite some time that Jeff Hardy has been wrestling through multiple nagging injuries. He is said to be suffering from a nerve injuring, which has supposedly caused his arm to go numb. Additionally, Hardy has reportedly been avoiding the Swanton Bomb due to a nagging back injury as well.

In a shocking twist at Extreme Rules, Shinsuke Nakamura won the US Title from Hardy within a few seconds, after which Randy Orton made a surprise return and attacked the Charismatic Enigma.

On the next episode of SmackDown Live, Orton gave Hardy one of the most brutal beatdowns in recent times and apparently, the reason behind this might be to write Jeff off television for a while to give him time to rehabilitate from his injuries. If the former US Champion fails to appear on the blue brand the next few weeks, it might just confirm this rumour.

#3 Who ran Extreme Rules?

Vince is usually right in the thick of things

It is a widely known fact that even at his age, Vince McMahon is present for all major WWE shows and is at the centre of the action backstage in deciding how exactly the show should proceed. However, Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer reports that McMahon was not in the Gorilla position at Extreme Rules.

Instead, however, it was reportedly Triple H and former Superstar Billy Kidman who were running things last Sunday. Kidman has been a producer and backstage personnel with WWE for quite a while now, while Triple H is usually present alongside McMahon in the Gorilla position as second-in-command.

Is this perhaps a sign of things to come? Will the Chairman finally take some time away from the business, giving Triple H a bigger role backstage? We can only wait and watch.

#2 Next challenger for AJ Styles

This is great news for Joe and his fans

Though the current WWE Champion has been putting on clinic after clinic no matter who he faces, Styles' Championship has not been given the same status as the top titles on Raw. In fact, fans were unhappy that the WWE Championship match did not main-event last Sunday. Even on SmackDown, the placement of Styles' match against Andrade Almas was not appropriate.

However, things might be about to change as WWE is set to book a blockbuster feud for the blue brand's top Championship next - Samoa Joe vs AJ Styles at SummerSlam. Joe has been pretty directionless on SmackDown as of late, and this feud will certainly do well to put both Superstars right back on top of the pecking order when they truly belong.

#1 Lashley or Reigns? Or both?

The Champion will defend his Title next at SummerSlam

It is now official - Brock Lesnar will defend his Universal Championship at SummerSlam next month, but what is not yet official is who will challenge the Beast Incarnate. It has been long rumoured that Lashley and Reigns are the two front-runners going into the PPV.

After Lashley surprisingly beat The Big Dog clean at Extreme Rules, this past week on Raw, GM Kurt Angle announced two triple threat matches to determine the next challenger for the Universal Title. To nobody's surprise, Lashley and Reigns won their respective bouts and the two will face off next week to determine the number one contender.

However, the latest word doing the rounds is that the Universal Title bout at SummerSlam might be turned into a Triple Threat match, with both these Superstars facing Lesnar for the title. Well, we will find out for sure on this week's episode of Raw when the two face off.