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In today's rumor roundup ahead of the WWE Super ShowDown in Saudi Arabia, we take a look at the stories that could impact the company after the PPV. 10-time champion set to move to NXT soon? Big update on the Universal title match at WrestleMania 36 and more!
Before we get to those big rumors, let's take a look at the headline-makers:
Triple H warned 2 Superstars that they would be buried
Triple H has revealed that he warned Batista and Randy Orton that they would be buried by the other Superstars once they joined Evolution. He claims that joining a big faction like that was going to make everyone hate them but that was a chance they had to take.
“Dave, Randy, listen, let me talk to you guys. I pulled them in a room and I said, ‘So you are about to hit the hate button from everybody.’ Every single person in this room, they’re going to tell you, ‘Why man, this is a great opportunity,’ and they’re going to bury you. All of a sudden, everybody you thought was your friend, you’re going to find out they’re not your friends.”
Batista also spoke about it and said he was asked just one important question by Triple H, "Do you want to make friends or do you want to make money?" and that was enough for him to make the decision.
Former champion 'not sure' of return
Nia Jax has revealed that she is not sure of when she will be making her in-ring return. The former women's champion has been out of action since WrestleMania 35 after undergoing a double ACL surgery.
She was touted to make her return at the Royal Rumble but that did not happen. She has already sent a warning to Mandy Rose that she will be coming for her for breaking Otis' heart and is just waiting for WWE's approval.
No storyline planned for the Universal title?
WWE always have storylines and cards planned for WrestleMania months before the pay-per-view. However, Bubba Ray Dudley has claimed on Busted Open Radio that the company has no plans fixed for the WWE Universal title just yet! He said:
I’ve heard rumblings within the WWE. Nothing is set in stone on the SmackDown side of WrestleMania. When it comes to the Universal Championship for WrestleMania, a lot of matches are in a ‘state of flux.’ I think we only have two definitive matches so far set, you know, Brock [Lesnar] and Drew McIntyre plus Charlotte [Flair] and Rhea [Ripley], everything else is up for grabs.” H/t Credit: SEScoops
WWE already have 2 big matches confirmed for the show of shows in April. Brock Lesnar will be facing Drew McIntyre while Charlotte Flair will be going head-to-head with NXT women's champion, Rhea Ripley.
Adding to that, Edge vs Randy Orton is set to take place as per the latest rumors while John Cena is also penciled in to be at the PPV.
Matt Hardy to move to NXT?
Matt Hardy's WWE contract is coming to an end and it looks like there is still a chance of him staying. While he has been dropping hints of a move to AEW, he has now also hinted at a potential move to NXT!
Mike Johnson of PWInsider Elite has added to the story now and claimed that there is a chance of Hardy staying with WWE after all. He claims that they have offered him a role in NXT 'somehow' after his contract expires and stated
“By the way, we have had a lot of questions about Matt Hardy. His contract is scheduled to be up on March 1st which is this Sunday. A lot of people have asked me what he’s going to be doing, this is just my theory. I know that WWE has made a lot of overtures to him in the last could of weeks. There’s been some talk of him working in the NXT system somehow. My gut feeling is that Matt Hardy will probably stay.”
The WWE Superstar Triple H refused to ride with
Mark Jindrak almost joined the Evolution back in 2003 after a long-term injury kept Batista out of action. However, that did not happen after Triple H pulled the plug on it and it could be all down to a card ride.
On the latest episode of Ruthless Aggression, the WWE COO revealed that he asked Ric Flair never to get Jondrak in a car ride with him ever again.
“I think we were in a car together for two hours. It was like being in a car – and no offence – but it was like being in a car with a third-grader. I’m not kidding.”
“I told Ric, ‘Never put the two of those [together] in a car with us again. I mean ever, and I don’t ever want to be in a car with Jindrak again.’”
Jindrak has now issued a challenge to Triple H for a match at WrestleMania 36 but is highly unlikely to happen as the card is already staked. Moreover, there is no real reason for that match to happen any time in WWE, let alone at WrestleMania.
Why Daniel Bryan is facing Heath Slater on SmackDown
Daniel Bryan and Heath Slater have faced each other twice this month, and the WWE Universe has no idea why. The former WWE Champion was involved in the title picture just a few weeks ago, but after being defeated by 'The Fiend' Bray Wyatt twice, he seems to have moved on.
WrestlingNews now reports that the idea to face Slater and have Drew Gulak involved in the storyline is all Bryan’s idea. They claim that he wants to help his friends, who are being underutilized by the company, to get on WWE TV.
I am told that this is Daniel Bryan’s idea and the reason why Gulak and Slater have been appearing on SmackDown lately is that Bryan suggested for them to be used in a storyline with him since he is friends with them and knows that they are underutilized.
They added that most of Bryan's ideas are taken up by the creative team and reported, “Sometimes Vince [McMahon] and Bruce [Prichard] will turn down an idea, but a lot of the things he has pitched have been used on TV.”
