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Today's edition of our daily rumor roundup leans more towards concrete stories than mere speculation, and it's because the rumor mills have just not churned enough juice.
We still have a lot of good stories on the plate.
A popular yet underutilized former WWE Superstar is back in the news after he signed with a promotion that has a close affiliation with WWE. Now, a current RAW Superstar has requested the company to get him back.
We have the latest on the possible WWE return of CM Punk and Vince McMahon's backstage reaction regarding the same.
A legendary tag team Superstar could be planting the seeds of a popular gimmick's return to WWE TV. Elsewhere, Xavier Woods' in-ring future was discussed and the situation doesn't look promising.
An off-script promo from the most recent episode of RAW was also revealed. Chad Gable, who has been rechristened as Shorty G, spoke about his backstage interactions with Vince McMahon.
Have you been wondering where Alexa Bliss is? If yes, then you'd certainly want to read the update on her current status.
That's the gist of what to expect today. As always, we go deeper into each of the stories mentioned above.
#1 Vince McMahon wouldn't mind if CM Punk signs with another company
It's that time of the year again when the rumors of CM Punk's WWE return intensify. The former WWE Superstar has added fuel to fire by confirming his involvement with Fox for a role on the FS1 show WWE Backstage.
However, the latest update states that Punk hasn't gotten a call from the officials at Fox since he had the tryout. It was also reported that Fox may have found another candidate to fill the position that Punk auditioned for.
Punk has stated that he is willing to do business with WWE, but he has his set demands.
WrestlingNews.co also revealed Vince McMahon's reaction to the rumors of CM Punk's return to the company.
The report states that the WWE boss is no-selling all the speculation going around. It was, however, added that while McMahon is receptive to the idea of Punk coming back to WWE, he would also have no problem if the Straight Edge Superstar inks a deal with another company. This could also include AEW, who have always shown interest in getting Punk on board.
Punk did admit that he got an offer from AEW, however, the nature of the proposal put him off and he didn't wish to follow up on it. It's also being said that while Tony Khan is a big fan of Punk, talents and officials backstage in AEW don't wish to see him in the company based on his comments about All Elite Wrestling.
But we're talking about CM Punk here. Vince McMahon wouldn't mind if Punk gets snapped up by a rival company, but could it be AEW?
#2 Xavier Woods in-ring career could be over according to Booker T
Xavier Woods is set to be out for a very long time due to an Achilles tear.
Booker T addressed Woods' status on WWE Backstage and stated that the serious injury could spell the end of the New Day member's in-ring career.
"I heard when he went down it was like somebody shot him and he just fell out in the middle of the ring. I think [Xavier’s] career, it could be over. It could be done. An Achilles tear is the worst injury one can get in the business." H/t Credit: WrestlingNews.co
Woods recently underwent surgery and is currently in the recuperation phase. It was reported that the 6-time tag team champion could be out of action for almost a year, which rules him out of next year's WrestleMania.
The UpUpDownDown host suffered the injury during a recent house show in Sydney when he fell to the mat while running the ropes. The referee put up the 'X' symbol before medics came out to check on him. He was taken backstage and it was later confirmed that Woods had freakishly hurt his Achilles.
It's going to be lengthy recovery period for Woods and all we can do now is to wish him nothing but the best. We sincerely hope this isn't the end of his career as the talented 33-year-old still has a lot to offer as a performer.
#3 Ric Flair went off-script on RAW
The Stylin', profilin', limousine riding, jet flying, kiss-stealing, wheelin' n' dealin' son of a gun showed up on RAW this past week and he was exuberant self.
Ric Flair cut a promo and revealed Drew McIntrye as the fifth member of his team that will take on Hulk Hogan's team at Crown Jewel on October 31st in Saudi Arabia.
What's interesting to note here is that Flair went off the script on a few occasions during the promo.
The revelation was made by Jerry Lawler on his podcast. JR also clarified that Flair was not drunk when he delivered the promo.
“I can assure you, I was with him for hours leading up to right before we went out on the air, and he was perfectly fine, so I know that people are saying Ric Flair was drunk or something like that. That was not the case.”
I think he was just so fired up and maybe because I don’t think that was an interview that was actually written for him, I think that they just let him go off on his own.” H/t Credit: Sportskeeda
#4 Ricochet requests Evan Bourne to return
EVOLVE recently confirmed that Matt Sydal will be appearing for them under his WWE moniker Evan Bourne for a few shows that are scheduled to take place in November and December.
In case you didn't know, EVOLVE has a working partnership with WWE which is why Sydal has been permitted to use the Evan Bourne name again.
EVOLVE put out the following statement on Bourne's return:
Evan Bourne was one of the WWE’s most exciting stars. He was known for his spectacular “Air Bourne” finisher of the top rope. He rose to being WWE Tag Team Champions along with Kofi Kingston. Bourne’s last match was in 2013 and he parted ways with WWE in 2014. He competed as Matt Sydal, but the Evan Bourne name and persona was retired. Bourne now wants to make a comeback. EVOLVE’s connection to NXT allows him to revive the “Evan Bourne” name and precision style that thrilled WWE audiences.“There has never been a more ideal moment for Evan Bourne to return,” Bourne said, “I’m thankful for this rebirth. I’m thrilled for this opportunity and will open everyone’s eyes at EVOLVE. On November 9th and 10th, come see what I’m saying.
Sydal took to his Twitter handle to hype up his EVOLVE appearances with a throwback photo from his days with WWE. Ricochet, who has faced Sydal in the independent scene in the past, commented on the tweet by requesting him to come back.
While Sydal will only work for EVOLVE as of now, it isn't far-fetched to imagine a potential return to WWE if he does manage to put out impressive performances in EVOLVE. NXT has gone to a different level ever since securing a 2-hour live slot on the USA Network and having a popular name in Bourne could work wonders for Triple H's brand.
#5 The reason behind Alexa Bliss' absence
If you may have noticed, Alexa Bliss hasn't been featured prominently off late while her tag team partner Nikki Cross has been handed a SmackDown Women's title shot.
Sportskeeda's Tom Colohue revealed that WWE granted Bliss a deserved break as she isn't required to be in any current storyline. Tom also added that WWE wants to push talents from lower down the SmackDown Women's division, which has given room for Bliss to go on a hiatus.
Alexa Bliss is having a break right now, which #wwe granted on the basis of her not being needed in storyline right now and room needed to push talent from lower down the #SmackDown card.
While we still do not know the exact length of the 5-time Women's Champion's break, she could be back as soon as WWE comes up with a proper storyline. For all we know, she could be back anytime in the upcoming weeks to assist Nikki Cross in her feud against Bayley.
#6 Broken Matt Hardy's return
Yes, Matt Hardy is still under contract with WWE and he does intend on coming back. The tag team legend recently revealed that he will be back on TV within the next five months and he may have already begun planting the seeds for a Broken return.
Hardy kick-started a new series on YouTube titled, 'Free The Delete' and the description for the show clearly states that he is looking to trace his steps back to reattain his Broken Brilliance.
It’s the first EVAH episode of “FREE THE DELETE”, which follows Matt Hardy’s journey to recapture his #BROKENBrilliance. Finding himself somewhere in limbo between mankind and the multiverse, Matt must embark on a mission to #FreeTheDELETE and PROCURE his true DESTINY.
Matt Hardy is currently a free agent after he went undrafted in the 2019 Draft. Irrespective of which brand he ends up on, the fans could finally get to witness Broken Matt Hardy in all its glory, or at least some of it, when he returns in a few months.
#7 Shorty G opens up on his backstage interactions with Vince McMahon
Chad Gable, who has been repackaged as Shorty G on SmackDown, spoke to Sports Illustrated and opened up about his relationship with Vince McMahon.
Gable said that constantly pitched ideas to the WWE boss and stated that Vince McMahon is someone who has helped him a lot in his career.
McMahon convinced Gable why the new character is the best way forward and the former NXT Champion is excited to go all-in with his fresh gimmick.
Gable also revealed how he recorded vignettes at his home and sent them to Vince McMahon. He made it clear to the WWE top brass that he wasn't going away and that he wanted to be featured consistently on TV. It paid dividends as Gable has been getting a lot of time on WWE programming while also being featured in one of the marquee matches of Crown Jewel.
Here's what Gable told SI's, Justin Barrasso:
“Vince finally realized, after me coming into his office over and over, listening to vignettes I created at home and reading pitches I wrote, that I’m not going away. I hated splitting up with Jason Jordan. He was my best friend in the world and we were having great matches.“That was the point where I could have rolled over and died or waited for them to come up with something for me, but I didn’t do that—I came up with a new idea and pitched it every week. They didn’t necessarily run with a lot of those ideas, but it showed them they’ve got a guy who is hungry and ready to make an impact.”
Vince is someone who has helped me a lot. He started giving me ideas and explained why a lot of my really serious ideas weren’t working. I started to understand his vision, and now I’m off and running with this new character. I’m going to have a great time with it and I can’t wait to sink my teeth into it.” H/t Credit: Sports Illustrated
It doesn't matter what you think of Gable's Shorty G character, the 33-year-old Superstar is motivated and we're sure he'll make it work.
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