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Rumors. There were rumors everywhere and how can they not be; we are in the midst of the most important week in pro wrestling and the rumor mills are working overtime.
As always, we have rounded up all the newsworthy details that are being talked about in WWE.
It's a star-studded roundup today as John Cena, CM Punk and The Rock have managed to make it onto the list.
While one legend has been confirmed to return and has already helped WWE in terms of ticket sales, another big name is highly unlikely to appear this week.
CM Punk confirmed a rumor that has been the most discussed topic in pro wrestling.
WWE also sent out a surprising statement to AEW after the latter unveiled the first episode of AEW Dynamite. We have to talk about Finn Balor as the former Universal Champion made an unexpected return to NXT. There are backstage updates regarding the reason behind the move, his future and contract details with the company. WWE also changed the name of a title that will be defended soon.
That's the gist of what to expect today. So without any further delay, let's dive right into the Rumor Roundup for October 3rd, 2019:
#1. John Cena may not return for the SmackDown premiere on FOX
The upcoming episode of SmackDown on FOX is inarguably the biggest of the year. The monumental episode will have wrestling royalty in attendance and some of the names include Hulk Hogan, The Rock, Ric Flair, Kurt Angle, Trish Stratus, Lita and many others.
However, John Cena's name is mysteriously not a part of the current lineup. Is WWE planning a surprise appearance? It's possible, however, as revealed by PWInsider's Mike Johnson, the Cenation leader may not be able to make it in time for the show due to the filming of the Suicide Squad sequel, which kicked off this week in Georgia.
Johnson wrote:
Cena has been announced as part of the cast for the new Suicide Squad film and that began filming in Georgia this week, so he's likely not available. It's possible he pops up as a surprise, but with everyone else scheduled, they are better off leaving John as something special down the line.
While John Cena has teased a potential appearance on his mindboggling Instagram profile, the 16-time World Champion and Vince McMahon's go-to guy is currently not expected to return this Friday on SmackDown.
#2. WWE changes the name of a title
The WWE Cruiserweight Championship is now officially known as the NXT Cruiserweight Championship.
The change was noticed in WWE's tweet in which the company hyped up the Cruiserweight title match between Lio Rush and current champion Drew Gulak, which will take place next week on NXT.
The change has also been made to Drew Gulak's WWE Superstar page on the WWE.com website as seen below:
As announced earlier this week, 205 Live will be available on the WWE Network after SmackDown goes off the air on Friday Nights. The Cruiserweight brand is now under the purview of Triple H and his team at NXT and that's great news for the fans of the brand.
#3. WWE issues a statement on AEW Dynamit
It was the dawn of a new era in pro wrestling this week as AEW's inaugural episode of Dynamite and NXT went head-to-head for the first time.
While it's easy to brandish competition as an all-out war, there is only one winner in this scenario - the fans. WWE acknowledged that fact and sent a congratulatory message to AEW on their grand premiere.
WWE sent out to the following statement:
"Congratulations to AEW on a successful premiere. The real winners of last night's head-to-head telecasts of NXT on USA Network and AEW on TNT are the fans, who can expect Wednesday nights to be a competitive and wild ride as this is a marathon, not a one-night sprint."
There are many takeaways from the statement above and we'll let you decide what to make of it. Jolt down your thoughts in the comments section.
#4. The Rock wants to share the ring with a top female star; the impact on ticket sales
The Great One is coming back home this week on SmackDown and it seems he already has a possible segment in mind.
As revealed by Sportskeeda's Tom Colohue, the 10-time WWE Champion will be 'very disappointed' if he misses out on the opportunity to share the ring with Becky Lynch.
Here's what Colohue said:
A #WWE source told me today that The Rock is going to be very disappointed if he doesn't get the chance to share a ring with Becky Lynch on #SmackDown this Friday. I can't help but think how awesome it is that everyone, even literal legends of the industry want to work with her.
The fact that the Rock wishes to work with The Man shouldn't surprise anyone. The current RAW Women's Champion is one of the most popular Superstars in the WWE and her rise to the top has won over everyone in the wrestling fraternity.
It was also additionally reported that the secondary market ticket sales for the SmackDown premiere on FOX have increased tremendously since WWE announced The Rock's return.
The much-hyped SmackDown episode will also mark the 20th Anniversary of the brand and WWE is unsurprisingly pulling out all the stops.
Legends such as Kurt Angle, Mick Foley, Sting, Booker T, Hulk Hogan, Goldberg, Trish Stratus and Lita are also expected to grace the special occasion with their presence.
You surely don't want to miss this one!
#5. Finn Balor update
Finn Balor made a surprise return on the most recent episode of NXT and declared to the world that he is well and truly back at the Full Sail University.
However, what's the status on Balor possibly appearing on RAW and SmackDown as well? Dave Meltzer had an update regarding the former Universal Champion's current role and plans on the latest edition of the Wrestling Observer Radio.
Meltzer stated that Balor is now a full-time member of the NXT roster and that he will not be featured on RAW and SmackDown. It was also said that Balor will work a lighter schedule for the Yellow Brand and will still get paid like a main roster Superstar, which would be four times more than any normal NXT Superstar. Now that's a sweet deal, isn't it?
Balor also opened up about his shocking comeback in an interview with Newsweek and revealed the reason behind his unlikely decision.
"I've been out of the ring for about two months and out of NXT for much longer. To get the opportunity to return to Full Sail live on USA is a huge honor for me. Right now that's what it means. I'm going to wrestle whenever, whoever I want. That's something I've been chasing for quite some time in my career.I don't believe in any boundaries be it weight class, country, promotion... And I want to break those boundaries. I'm here at NXT to do that."
Expect a highly motivated Demon King to show up on all the different shows that come under the umbrella of NXT soon.
#6. CM Punk confirms rumor about working for WWE on FOX, it's reportedly a 'done deal'
Yes, it was true. CM Punk did indeed have a screen test with FOX for a new role on the FS1 show, WWE Backstage.
The former WWE Champion was on the Collider Live yesterday and he spilt the beans on his dealings with FOX. Punk stated that he was at the FOX studios to audition for the role and he even disclosed some important details regarding the new talk show.
He also praised Renee Young, who will be co-hosting the show with Booker T.
It has also been reported by Fight Oracle that CM Punk's role as a commentator for the FS1 show is a 'done deal'.
Here's what Punk said on the Collider Live regarding his new gig:
"My agents just called me and they were like FOX is throwing everything at this because they spent a lot of money on this and they are all in and they have to make it work. They reached out and want to know if you, I think originally, I thought it was a WWE thing so I was just like ‘well, no’, and they are like, ‘this is FOX’. I’m not dealing with anybody in WWE. They were legit like ‘it’s FOX’ and I was just like ‘okay’, and they explained to me what it was and I love Renee Young. Renee Young is a great person. She’s Canadian, so she’s obviously super over the top. Nice and friendly.
And it’s along the lines of what I do for CFFC but I prefaced it with like ‘guys I’m not going to come in and dump all over stuff to dump on it. Like I said, that’s old Phil. But if it’s bad I go, 'I can’t, I’m not going to be able to pretend that it’s anything but bad’. So they want to present it like it’s a real sport and just have a show that recaps stuff, just like they do with NFL. Just like NHL network will do with Hockey games and stuff like that. That’s where we are with that." H/t Credit: Sportskeeda
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