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We're back with another exciting WWE News and Rumor Roundup. Among all the superstars changing brands on the first night of this year's draft, a top champion's move to SmackDown was surprising. We'll take a look at the reported reason behind that development in this listicle.
A former WCW Champion recently highlighted a bold creative idea for Asuka. Today's roundup will also feature Vince McMahon's reaction to a street fight from 2001.
A former WWE manager has predicted how Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar's current feud will play out. Additionally, Rhea Ripley gave her honest opinion on a tag team storyline not too long ago.
With that in mind, let's dive straight into the latest WWE News and Rumor Roundup.
#5 Why was Charlotte Flair drafted to WWE SmackDown?
Despite holding the RAW Women's Championship, Charlotte Flair will be a part of the Blue brand moving forward. This brand switch came about in the first round on night one of the WWE Draft.
According to Raj Giri of Wrestling Inc., FOX specifically wanted her to move to SmackDown.
The biggest question now revolves around The Queen's title status. Could Becky Lynch, the SmackDown Women's Champion, be drafted to RAW as a result?
The New Day and The Street Profits swapped their tag team titles after moving to different brands last year. There's a chance that a similar outcome will soon play out in the case of Lynch and Flair.
#4 Vince Russo suggests a false AEW-Asuka rumor idea
Vince Russo thinks WWE should utilize Asuka's on-screen absence by putting out a newsworthy AEW rumor.
According to Russo, spreading bogus reports about her contract negotiations with Tony Khan's promotion would generate a lot of buzz before her eventual WWE return.
Here's what he had to say about this idea while talking to Sportskeeda Wrestling’s Dr. Chris Featherstone:
"If it were me and I was the WWE, bro, I would start putting things out there, working dirt sheets and everything else like this, that Asuka’s in negotiations with AEW. That’s what I’d put out there if I was in WWE." Russo continued, "I would really put that out there, bro, and they would do that, and then have her return. That’s what I would do."
He also mentioned that Asuka could feud with Becky Lynch upon her return. Last year, The Empress of Tomorrow became RAW Women's Champion right after Lynch relinquished the title due to her pregnancy announcement.
Should WWE create a feud around that moment? Sound off in the comments section below.
#3 How Vince McMahon reacted to Kurt Angle and Shane McMahon's street fight
At WWE King of the Ring 2001, Shane McMahon and Kurt Angle wrestled in a street fight.
Senior referee Mike Chioda, who had been with the company for over three decades, recently highlighted that Vince McMahon was concerned about his son's well-being in the match.
Speaking on It's My Wrestling Podcast, Chioda recalled how the WWE Chairman wasn't in favor of Kurt Angle performing a specific sequence during the fight.
"Kurt Angle and Shane McMahon man. Putting Shane through that glass man several times, and he couldn't. He could execute it the first, second time and Vince is screaming and everybody's screaming, 'Don't do it. Don't do it again!' I'm telling him don't do it again. Don't do it, and I'm in his ear. And then he does it again I'm like holy sh*t, and I check on Kurt after the match like, 'Didn't you hear me? Don't fu**ing throw him through the thing,' and he goes, 'No I'm sorry I'm deaf in that ear!' Like oh that's great! So then the other ear didn't hear it either? I was screaming!" said Mike Chioda.
Angle emerged victoriously from this battle that lasted almost 26 minutes.
#2 Dutch Mantell thinks Paul Heyman could betray WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns
Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar will collide for the WWE Universal Championship at the Crown Jewel pay-per-view on October 21. The latest SmackDown episode featured another confrontation between the two superstars.
On Sportskeeda Wrestling's Smack Talk, Dutch Mantell spoke about the recent crowd reaction to Reigns. Based on that, the former WWE manager predicted a significant twist for the said feud.
"I think Paul Heyman, and we predicted this, is the central theme to Roman and Lesnar. This is what I felt tonight: those people like Roman. Now, he's starting to get over. He's a heel who is starting to get over as a babyface. I can see Paul Heyman putting the knife in the back of Roman and aligning himself with Brock Lesnar and then they can come out and tell a hell of a story that this has been planned for six months, eight months or whatever. And it will be believable. I see that coming. That's what I see coming and that would be a great great angle. The people like Roman," Dutch Mantell stated.
Paul Heyman and Roman Reigns' on-screen relationship has been strained ever since Lesnar returned to WWE television.
In your opinion, should The Beast Incarnate's former advocate switch sides during this storyline?
#1 Rhea Ripley mentions her initial "standoffish" reaction to the Nikki A.S.H. pairing in WWE
There's no doubt that Nikki A.S.H. and Rhea Ripley are an unlikely WWE tag team. The latter was recently asked about her response when the company paired her up with Nikki, and she admitted to being "a little bit standoffish" at first.
Speaking to Scott Fishman of TV Insider, Ripley also acknowledged that this isn't exactly the case anymore.
"At first I was a little bit standoffish." Ripley continued, "But she is growing on me. She is such a good person, warm-hearted and positive. Sometimes you just need someone like that behind you, especially when you’re someone like me who just goes out there and brutalizes people. Sometimes I need to calm down a little bit, so I’m glad to have Nikki by my side. To be honest, I’m having the time of my life right now in this tag team. It’s a lot of fun. I do miss singles competition and do love it, but there are always times for a change."
During the same interview, Rhea Ripley said she had looked up to Nikki A.S.H. in the past.
The former NXT Women's Champion expressed that holding the tag team titles with her unlikely partner felt 'truly extraordinary' as a result.
