'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Welcome to another edition of the daily rumor roundup. We've got a lot to cover today as there are tons of good rumors doing the rounds in the WWE.
TLC was in the spotlight as the company has kept a tight lid over the match card of the show. We now know the matches as well as a few big surprises that could be in store for the card.
As always, the big names feature in our collection of the best bits of WWE speculation circulating across the interwebs.
Paul Heyman, Braun Strowman, Jeff Hardy, Samoa Joe, Daniel Bryan, Bray Wyatt, and Vince McMahon are just some of the names that make it to today's list.
Let's cut the build-up and get right into the biggest rumors of the day:
#1. The reason why WWE has not fired Jeff Hardy, company's message to him revealed
Jeff Hardy has had a rough year.
The 3-time WWE Champion's current status has been a topic of intense discussion amongst the wrestling fans in recent weeks, with many wondering why the company has not fired him yet.
As revealed by Mike Johnson on PWInsider Elite Audio, WWE told Jeff Hardy to take his health and sobriety very seriously and the Superstar has reciprocated positively by putting in the effort to bring about a much-needed change in his life.
It was added that the company can not let him go as he's doing exactly what's being asked of him.
Johnson had the following to say:
“Jeff Hardy’s deal is that it’s frozen cause he’s hurt. So, they’ve tacked time on so why would they fire him when they can hold him even longer? As we know Jeff is in the middle of another legal quandary. I can tell you from a source very close to the situation that WWE strongly implored Jeff to address his health and we’re told that Jeff is doing that and really aggressively dove right into it. So, you can’t fire the guy when he’s doing what you ask him to do. We’ll see what happens when he goes to court.” H/t Credit: WrestleTalk
Jeff Hardy has not been seen on WWE TV since the end of April when he was forced out of action due to a knee injury. Ever since then, the Charismatic Enigma has been arrested twice for DUI and DWI related offences.
The 42-year-old SmackDown Superstar seems to be working hard towards getting his life back on track and if it all goes to plan, he should be back in action sooner rather than later.
It was also reported by Dave Meltzer quite a while back that WWE would not fire Hardy as he could be an asset for AEW if he signs with WWE's rivals.
The company is trying to help the former WWE Champion and the good news is that he has responded with the intent to improve.
#2. Backstage plans for the TLC main event
TLC is scheduled to take place on December 15th and WWE has announced just one match for the show, which is a TLC bout between Roman Reigns and King Corbin.
While the other matches are yet to be confirmed, WWE already has chalked out the card for the show and the main event, as revealed by Dave Meltzer in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, with The Fiend vs. Daniel Bryan facing off for the WWE Universal Championship.
However, Meltzer also added that there is backstage talk about possibly keeping the match for a later show, and instead, to have The Miz replace Bryan.
WWE could go down that route to flesh out the storyline a little more but that's just speculation at this point. The plan right now is to have a rematch between Bryan and Wyatt at the PPV.
#3. The TLC match card, big title match for Braun Strowman
In the latest edition of the Newsletter, Meltzer also revealed the matches that are currently in the pipeline for TLC.
In addition to Roman Reigns vs. King Corbin, which has already been confirmed, Rusev vs. Bobby Lashley and Charlotte Flair & Becky Lynch vs. The Kabuki Warriors for the WWE Women's Tag Team titles are the two matches that are locked in for the show.
As reported earlier, the PPV is expected to be headlined by the Universal Championship match between Daniel Bryan and The Fiend.
Given below are the other matches that could reportedly be featured on the card:
- Randy Orton vs. AJ Styles
- The Viking Raiders vs. Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson (RAW Tag Team Titles Match)
- Aleister Black vs. Buddy Murphy
- Kevin Owens vs. Seth Rollins
- Braun Strowman vs. Shinsuke Nakamura (Intercontinental Championship Match)
- The New Day vs. Robert Roode & Dolph Ziggler (SmackDown Tag Team Titles Match)
There are still no updates on the potential matches for Rey Mysterio and Bayley but we should know more on the same on the remaining few episodes before TLC.
It's interesting to note that Braun Strowman could stand a chance of winning his first singles title in the WWE if the company wishes to go down that path. Strowman destroyed Nakamura and Sami Zayn during a recent live event, which hints at WWE committing to the new storyline going forward.
#4. Paul Heyman picked a Superstar to debut on RAW
Dave Meltzer reported in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that Paul Heyman himself picked Dio Maddin to debut as a commentator on RAW.
Maddin's stint as a RAW commentator was short-lived as he was taken off TV after a Brock Lesnar attack.
The official reason provided for his absence states that Maddin wants to pursue his desire of returning to in-ring action.
However, it was also reported that Vince McMahon and Kevin Dunn were not happy with Maddin's work and that the company wanted to re-train him. Maddin chose not to get back to commentary and now is focussed on getting better in the ring.
The 28-year-old Superstar is preparing for his in-ring return and he's wasting no time in hyping up a possible comeback to RAW as an active wrestler.
#5. The reason why WWE has not announced the TLC match card
WWE's delay in announcing the matches for TLC has been one of the biggest mysteries in the past week.
However, there is a big reason behind WWE's decision to hold off on the announcements.
Vince McMahon has not made the final decisions just yet and it's all a part of his new philosophy.
Dave Meltzer explained in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that the company has shifted the focus to getting more network sign-ups and not the traditional PPV buys.
Trends have shown the network sign-ups happen on the day of the show and WWE is in no urgency to confirm the matches.
Melter noted the following in the WON:
Vince McMahon hasn’t made final decisions. McMahon’s new philosophy is that the PPV’s are all about network sign-ups, as opposed to the limited PPV business still being done. The belief based on patterns of sign-ups is that they are big the last day of the show, and not before.
So unlike ticket sales, which come a month or more in advance, and PPV parties, which get arranged days if not a week plus out, the dynamic is completely different and there is no need to rush anything.
#6. Bray Wyatt's opinion on the red light during his matches
The fans don't like the red tint during The Fiend's matches and that's pretty evident from the reactions to his matches. Seth Rollins too was not pleased with the light during his match against Wyatt.
The Beastslayer revealed during his recent WWE Backstage appearance that he was not told about the light before the match, and that hampered the quality of the bout.
Dave Meltzer reported that even Bray Wyatt didn't like the red tint.
"Rollins on WWE Backstage brought up the Hell in a Cell match and noted the red light and not being told about it in advance. Evidently, it was very hard for both he and Wyatt to see outside the ring. Apparently both Rollins and Wyatt, and all the fans live and watching on television didn’t like it."
Despite the fan backlash, WWE isn't willing to give up on the unwanted addition.
#7. Vince McMahon made a few changes to RAW main event
Last week's episode of RAW wasn't the best of episodes that the WWE has put out this year.
The show may have been underwhelming but the six-man tag team main event somewhat salvaged the below-average show.
Dave Meltzer reports that Vince McMahon made a few alterations to the main event during the producers meeting. The original plan was to have Randy Orton team up with Ricochet and Humberto Carrilo. The idea was to have Rey Mysterio assist the babyfaces for a win by booking him to show up and counter Drew McIntyre.
However, McMahon replaced Orton with Mysterio as he wanted the Viper to RKO Styles out of nowhere. To make the RKO feel special, McMahon wanted Styles to come off a big pin and the decision was made to have Ricochet take the fall.
#8. Backstage news on Samoa Joe's status
Samoa Joe has been a breath of fresh air on RAW in his new role as a commentator. The former United States Champion has done a solid job but everyone's asking the same question - how long is he going to be in the commentary team?
As revealed by Dave Meltzer, the new role is not a permanent one and Joe is expected to return to in-ring action once his hand injury fully recovers.
The company sees Joe as a valuable talent who can't be wasted in a commentator's position.
"When asked about if Joe would be permanent in the role because he has been so strong in it, the reaction was that they consider him too valuable as a talent right now and he’s only there until his hand injury heals."
While we would love to see Joe elevate the commentary on the Red Brand with his genius, we would like it more when he returns to his destructive best as an active competitor on TV.
#9. A section of the NXT roster is against getting called up to RAW or SmackDown
Tommaso Ciampa made a big claim recently on Lillian Garcia's Chasing Glory podcast by saying that he would prefer retiring than to be called up to RAW or SmackDown.
The former NXT Champion has even informed the company about his intentions to be in NXT.
Dave Meltzer stated in the WON that many other NXT talents also don't wish to go up to the main roster.
There are a few reasons behind the new trend.
Top NXT Superstars are allowed to skip house shows and just work PPV and TV dates. In comparison, main roster Superstars work more than 200 dates a year and that usually leads to inevitable burnout. NXT Superstars prefer the lighter schedule but that's not the only reason.
It was also noted that many talents don't consider making money to be their primary goal in WWE. Top-tier NXT Superstars make one-fourth to one-sixth of what the lower card talents of RAW and SmackDown earn. Of course, names like Balor get a fatter paycheck, which is similar to the top main roster guys.
However, the biggest reason probably behind a few NXT talents wanting to stay in the black and gold brand was due to NXT's rise as a legitimate third brand.
NXT is not just a developmental system anymore and wrestlers feel it's a big deal now to work for the brand spearheaded by Triple H.
