The 2017 edition of Backlash is in the books. It will probably be remembered for Jinder Mahal winning the WWE championship from Randy Orton.
The Maharaja’s win is still a talking point among wrestling fans. A good portion of the fans is embracing the change while another portion is complaining about the lack of build-up that Jinder had.
Jinder was indeed the major talking point on the rumour mill as well. But since his fate was already sealed at Backlash, we are going to take a look at some of the other rumours that poked up this past week. The list includes rumours about the future of The New Day, new opponents for Brock Lesnar and much more.
As usual, we are going to take a closer look at these rumours and examine the possibilities.
#4 The New opponents for Brock Lesnar
The Rumour: Wrestling Observer Radio notes that either Seth Rollins or Finn Balor will face Brock Lesnar at Great Balls of Fire.
The Potential: With Braun Strowman ruled out of the pay-per-view, WWE is clearly in need of a new opponent. Seth Rollins has some history with Brock Lesnar while Balor clearly deserves a shot at the Universal title. Both are credible opponents for the Beast and it would also keep Roman Reigns away from the picture.
The Fallout: No matter who goes up against Brock Lesnar at The Great Balls of Fire, the Universal title is unlikely to change hands. WWE would want Lesnar to keep hold of the title so that his showdowns with Strowman and Reigns would have higher stakes.
#5 Plans for New Day
The Rumour: According to Cage Side Seats, The New Day is set to feud with The Usos as soon as they make their SmackDown debut.
The Potential: The New Day vs. The Usos is a feud that makes complete sense. The Usos are the top heels on SmackDown and they are also the reigning Tag Team champions. When the New Day eventually makes their debut on the Tuesday night show, they are bound to get a huge reaction. WWE can make use of such a reaction to pair them up with The Usos for a Tag Team championship program.
The Fallout: It wouldn’t be a big surprise if WWE lets The New Day win the Tag titles from the Usos. The New Day can do an excellent job as champions and this was proven during their run on Raw. Alternatively, WWE could keep the titles on The Usos at the expense of The New Day.
#3 Summer Rae medically cleared to return
The Rumour: Summer Rae has been medically cleared for a return according to reports by Wrestling Observer Radio.
The Potential: Summer has been out of action since August of last year due to an injury. She started training in the Performance Centre from March and it is a possibility that she is medically cleared to return. WWE might be waiting for the right time to put her back into the mix and it would be interesting to see if she would return to Raw or jump to SmackDown.
The Fallout: The returning Summer does provide plenty of options for WWE. But we have seen a lot of such good angles being wasted by the creative team. So it would be better to keep the expectations low as Summer’s return might just get buried in between all the other major storylines.
#2 Replacement for Eva Marie
The Rumour: Cage Side Seats is reporting that Charlotte, Becky Lynch, and Alexa Bliss are being considered as a replacement for Eva Marie on the Total Divas Show.
The Potential: All the above-mentioned superstars are fan favourites. Even though Alexa is currently a heel, she has a lot of fans that appreciate the work that she puts in. And this is probably why WWE would consider having them on the show. But rather than having just one superstar, we might end up having two as WWE is likely to cut Paige from the show as well.
The Fallout: Every fan out there would love to get an insight into the personal lives of Charlotte, Becky, and Alexa. These superstars being part of Total Divas could be interesting and at the same time, it might help them to connect more with the fans.
#1 SummerSlam plans for Rusev
The Rumour: Rusev is likely to face off against Shane McMahon at SummerSlam as per the rumours on Cage Side Seats.
The Potential: Rusev has already expressed his dislike of SmackDown through various ways. The next obvious step would be a feud with either Daniel Bryan or Shane McMahon.
As WWE is unlikely to let Bryan wrestle again, a Rusev vs. Shane McMahon match at SummerSlam is a big possibility. Meanwhile, there are also rumours about Rusev winning the Money in the Bank. If Rusev does win the briefcase, it would make him more relevant.
The Fallout: The Rusev-Shane feud will only be triggered once Rusev makes his full-fledged return to television. And as far as the outcome of the feud goes, Shane is likely to take another defeat just like he did with AJ Styles at WrestleMania.
