The WWE Universe witnessed some major surprises this past week. The biggest one was, undoubtedly, the rise of Jinder Mahal. The Maharaja was crowned the new number one contender for the WWE championship at SmackDown and this broke the internet.
Apart from Mahal’s surprising push, a lot of other talking points poked up in wrestling fan circles this week.
There were rumours of WWE’s plans for Baron Corbin and the Bollywood Boyz. The future of Eva Marie and Paige also featured on the rumour mill. In this piece, we will be listing down these and other notable rumours from the week that went by.
#5 Baron Corbin to be repackaged
The Rumour: According to the Wrestling Observer, WWE is planning to repackage Baron Corbin so that they can push him further.
The Potential: It’s understandable that the WWE wants to push Corbin. However, the need for repackaging him is questionable because The Lone Wolf’s current character arguably works for him. It is closer to what Corbin is in his real life and this makes it easier for him to connect with the fans.
However, as WWE is known for making eyebrow-raising decisions, Corbin could get a new look soon.
The fallout: Changing Corbin’s character at this point of time is likely to go wrong in this writer’s opinion. If WWE is going for minor changes, it might not have an impact. But if the character as a whole is going to be changed, it would hinder the momentum that Corbin currently has.
#4 The plan for Bollywood Boyz
The Rumour: Cage Side Seats has reported that the Bollywood Boyz would be known as the Singh Brothers on SmackDown Live.
The Potential: Harv Sihra and Gurv Sihra made their SmackDown debut this past week. The brothers helped Jinder Mahal win the six-pack challenge, which, in turn, made Mahal the number one contender for the WWE championship. From the looks of it, the WWE is likely to push the brothers as a heel tag team.
This would be completely different from the light-hearted gimmick that they played in NXT. Thus, a name change would be natural. Also, repackaging them as the Singh Brothers makes it easy for them to connect with the Indian fan base.
The fallout: Mahal, along with Harv and Gurv, might end up forming a heel stable. As a result, the brothers are bound to have a huge role in the upcoming title match between Mahal and Randy Orton.
#3 Eva Marie to leave WWE
The Rumour: As per Cage Side Seats, Eva Marie is expected to leave WWE when her contract expires. The only reason nothing has been done yet is because of her association with Total Divas.
The Potential: The women’s division of WWE is filled with talented performers. The absence of Eva Marie has not impacted the roster in any way. Although a return from Eva would’ve been exciting, it is apparently too late. The bridge between WWE and Eva seems burnt and a release would be the best move for both parties.
The fallout: Eva has many projects outside the WWE. Even if she is released from the promotion, she is bound to be busy for a long time. However, Eva could still return in the future.
#2 No plans for Paige
The Rumour: The Wrestling Observer notes that WWE has no plans for Paige even if she is fit to compete after her neck surgery.
The Potential: The chances of this rumour being true are high. Paige has been a controversial figure for some time now. It’s likely WWE would want no association with her whatsoever when she recovers from the neck surgery. It wouldn’t even be a surprise if WWE ends up releasing her soon.
The recent rant from Alberto Del Rio against the promotion makes it easy for WWE to take a call on the issue.
The fallout: Paige is a talented wrestler. Even if she is released from WWE, a string of wrestling promotions out there would love to have her. The front runner perhaps would be Impact Wrestling.
#1 Shelton Benjamin will not be returning
The Rumour: WWE might not be bringing back Shelton Benjamin as per the rumour section on Cage Side Seats.
The Potential: Shelton Benjamin was scheduled to make his WWE return earlier this year. The return was called off due to an injury but Benjamin was expected to return once his recovery was completed. This rumour, however, contradicts this expectation.
If we think about it, Benjamin is still a big name in the business. Any promotion would love to have him on the roster. It’s hard to digest that the WWE thinks otherwise.
The fallout: If Benjamin does not return to WWE, it would disappoint the fans. His experience and athleticism would’ve made him a great addition to the WWE roster. On the other hand, if he doesn’t come to WWE, it means that we could see him in other promotions, including a potential run with Impact Wrestling.
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