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We are back with another exciting WWE News Roundup. Earlier this week, a popular legend showered praise on Roman Reigns.
A six-time world champion recently gave his take on whether or not The Undertaker will return to WWE again. Meanwhile, a second-generation talent has expressed her wish to face a top star in Vince McMahon's promotion.
CM Punk has been trending lately. Not too long ago, a former WWE star spoke about Punk's dramatic walkout from the company. Additionally, Big E has teased a cash-in following his recent Money in the Bank contract victory.
With that in mind, let's dive straight into the latest WWE News Roundup.
#5 Triple H believes WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns is the "biggest star in the industry" today
At this year's Money in the Bank pay-per-view, Roman Reigns successfully defended his title against Edge. At the end of the event, WWE surprised the live crowd in Fort Worth, Texas, with John Cena's long-awaited return. Fans have since been talking about how Cena and Reigns briefly crossed paths at the pay-per-view.
WWE's executive vice president of global talent strategy and development, Triple H, has praised the Universal Champion's reaction to Cena's return. Speaking to Sports Illustrated a few days ago, he highlighted Reigns' efforts throughout the ThunderDome era of WWE.
“Roman is the biggest star in WWE, he’s the biggest star in the industry,” said Triple H. “He perfected his craft at a really hard time to do so with no fans. He put so much into his character work, and his reaction to Cena was as powerful as the moment itself. Watching that, I couldn’t help but think back to how long he’s been doing this and some of the tougher times he’s been through. Right now, he’s performing on a whole other level. He’s at the point where he is no longer thinking about the character, he just is.”
During the Monday Night RAW episode after Money in the Bank, John Cena called out Reigns for a Universal Championship clash at WWE SummerSlam 2021.
Do you think the Cenation leader will manage to dethrone The Tribal Chief? Or will Reigns continue his streak of successful title defenses? Sound off in the comments section below.
#4 WWE Hall of Famer Booker T feels The Undertaker will "make that walk" one more time
The Undertaker last fought AJ Styles in the Boneyard Match at WWE WrestleMania 36. Following his victory, The Deadman retired from in-ring competition and appeared for his farewell at last year's Survivor Series pay-per-view.
Booker T, who was present at the retirement ceremony among other legends, has now given his take on The Undertaker's WWE status. With the recent return of live crowds, he believes that The Phenom will return for a send-off in front of the fans.
Here's what Booker T said on the latest Hall Of Fame podcast:
"That [Boneyard match] was a great way to go out, but just think about what we just saw at Money in the Bank," said Booker T. "All of those people, all of those fans, giving you that perfect send-off, properly. That you will have literally archived throughout history and the annals of time. You think it's not hard to see that and do that? I think we might see The Undertaker make that walk just one more time. I don't know when it's going to be. I don't know if it's going to be this year, next year. I don't know when it's going to be. I do think we're going to see The Undertaker don the jacket and the hat and make that walk one more time."
Do you agree or disagree with Booker T's thoughts on The Undertaker's potential WWE return? Please share your thoughts in the comment section below.
#3 Bianca Carelli thinks WWE's Rhea Ripley would be an "awesome opponent" for her
Rhea Ripley's recent WWE RAW Women's Championship reign lasted from WrestleMania 37 to Money in the Bank. The Australian star has gained a lot of popularity since she moved to the main roster, and Santino Marella's daughter, Bianca Carelli, thinks highly of her.
Carelli spoke to Sportskeeda Wrestling's Riju Dasgupta not too long ago. The second-generation star named Ripley as her potential WrestleMania opponent if she ever makes it to WWE.
"She works really hard," said Carelli. "She's really good at what she does. She has really awesome confidence. Following her from NXT to now, the main roster, she is a really good performer. I feel like she's a really hard worker. I've never met her before but I do like what she brings to the ring. And I think that would be a really awesome opponent to have because she looks like a tough cookie."
Bianca Carelli is training to be a megastar one day, and she is currently the BAA Women's Champion at the Battle Arts Academy.
Santino Marella's daughter also praised Asuka during her chat with Sportskeeda Wrestling. You can read that story HERE.
#2 Heath Slater comments on the backstage reaction to CM Punk's WWE walkout
CM Punk's WWE in-ring career came to a controversial end in 2014, and his conflict with the company's higher-ups has been well documented over the years.
Punk last fought in WWE during the 2014 Royal Rumble match. At the time, the former world champion's frustrations with injuries and the creative department led him to walk out before the post-Royal Rumble episode of RAW.
In a recent Title Match Wrestling video, former WWE Superstar Heath Slater spoke about the locker room's reaction to CM Punk walking out on the company in 2014.
“I’m sure [some people were happy], you know,” said Heath Slater. “I think it was one of those things where everyone was kind of like in shock because guys that don’t have the spotlight and all that stuff, they’re all looking at it like, ‘Dude, what are you doing? You’re wrestling on top. You’ve been doing it forever. Stay there, get your money, do your thing.’”
Although the news of CM Punk's WWE walkout surprised many lower-card talents, Heath Slater understood it was a personal decision that stemmed directly from the top star's frustrations.
“But, like I said, he wasn’t happy.” Slater continued, “His path was going somewhere else. He didn’t wanna be there no more. I look at it as, ‘Man, why did you do it?’ But then again, for him, I’m like, 'Good for you.' Because that’s what he wanted to do.”
Lately, there have been reports regarding CM Punk's potential return to professional wrestling. Stay tuned for more updates on this trending story.
#1 WWE SmackDown's Big E on crossing paths with Roman Reigns in the future
Big E currently holds the Money in the Bank contract, which means that WWE's top champions are on the lookout for a cash-in attempt at any moment.
The New Day member recently spoke with DAZN News on the road to SummerSlam 2021. In a hypothetical situation at the upcoming pay-per-view, would he cash in the briefcase on the WWE Champion (currently - Bobby Lashley) or the WWE Universal Champion (currently - Roman Reigns)?
Here's why Big E picked Roman Reigns:
"You can look at the entire scope of the rest of the industry, and you can determine who you think is the number one guy, who you think is the best, who should be at the very top," said Big E. "I think it's not that difficult to make an argument for Roman being number one across all brands, across all boards. Beating him means that whoever beats him for that title, it's going to be memorable. It's going to mean something, and why not me?"
Since Big E and Roman Reigns are both on SmackDown, it would make sense if The New Day member decides to target the Universal Champion.
But then again, this is a hypothetical situation, and there's no guaranteeing when exactly the cash-in will happen. Moreover, the people in charge could always swerve viewers by booking Big E to go after the WWE Champion instead.
In your opinion, which title should he target as the Money in the Bank contract holder? Sound off in the comments section below.
