Speculating on rumors is the quintessential pastime of WWE fans. Now that we have the Internet, our cups are constantly filled by leaks, whispers and spoilers. In a time of unprecedented access, it’s all too easy to get overwhelmed by the tornado of rumors.
But, luckily for you, we’ve been keeping our ear close to the ground and have cherry picked the best rumors in WWE this week.
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For the 3rd consecutive installment of this column, The Undertaker finds himself heavily implicated in multiple, delectable rumors. The same goes for Ronda Rousey. And we finally have a plausible reason for why Baron Corbin went from prince to peasant on SmackDown.
Happy speculating!
WWE’s Plans to Use Ronda Rousey
All summer long,ย Ronda Rousey‘s name has been attached toย WWE. For the most part, it was purely speculative as we only were fed teaspoons of rumbles and grumbles. However,ย all of sudden, Rousey in WWE is not only certain but may now have a schedule.
In the last episode, of the Mae Young Classicย Rousey,ย Jessamyn Duke, and Marina Shafirย got into a disputeย with Charlotte, Bayley, and Becky Lynch, effectively introducing the concept of a big fight to the WWE Universe.
According to Dave Meltzer of theย Wrestling Observer Newsletter, a second and more volatile interaction will take place between the two camps at theย Classic’s September 12 live finale in Las Vegas on WWE Network. This is expected to be the jump off point for a Survivor Series match between the MMA and WWE Superstars.
Even further, Meltzer mentions that Survivor Series may be just the beginning for Rousey in WWE. The current sentiment is that she will have a WrestleMania 34 match, wither with her old Wrestlemania 31 rival, Stephanie McMahon or with Charlotte Flair herself.
Probability that WWEย plans to use Rouseyย at Survivor Series and WrestleMania?ย 4.89/5
Corbin Punished for Dispute with WWE Doctor
Corbin’s fall from WWEย grace may be more complex than some bad Tweeting and the kiss of death from John Cena.
We have multiple reports to share on the situation as the first comes from Dave Meltzer andย Wrestling Observer Radio:
“Only thing I can say is that there was an incident, it wasn’t anything reported, nothing in the ring, not related to Twitter or talent, and they changed booking plans. He’ll be fine. Vince loves him. If not, he’d have been fired.”
However, a new story fromย PWInsiderย actually has details on the above mentioned “incident.”
Citing multipleย sources, the root of Corbin’s decline comes from a talent meeting in early August. Dr. Joseph Maroon, the head of WWE’s Wellness Policy, gave a presentation on concussion protocol. Maroon, who’s also involved with the NFL and their concussion program, was said to “downplay” the correlation between CTE and playing football.ย Baron Corbin, a former NFL player, took grievance with this claim.
As Corbin challenged Maroon, he mentioned that he is part of a concussion-related lawsuit against the NFL, making him and Maroon natural adversaries. In the filmย Concussion, Maroon is actually in the movie and is portrayed as an NFL apologist who attempts to discredit football related CTE claims.
Corbin and Maroon were said to have debated for several minutes that cast a chilling awkwardness on the meeting. The “heat” on Corbin doesn’t come from his stance on CTE but his timing of debate. Apparently, the issue was that Corbin essentially took the meeting hostage instead of talking to Maroon privately. PWIsider reports that some WWE talent were annoyed by Corbin’s need for debate while others were impressed by his commitment to the subject.
Probability that a poorly timed debate affected Corbin’s WWEย status backstage?ย ย 3.9/5
WWE Still Undecided on John Cena vs. Roman Reigns
The Wrestlingย Observer Newsletter reports that WWEย is still set on making Romanย Reigns not only theirย top star but their top babyface star.
This is noteworthy becauseย WWEย and even Roman himself have persistentlyย claimed that his character is the epitome of a “tweener.”WWEย maintaining the ambition of making him a “good guy,” changes the chemical make up of the company.
That said, WWEย is unsure of how to book Reignsย moving forward. They want him to have an ultimate coronation at WrestleManiaย 34, but buildingย to that moment is proving to be tricky. As of now, they think that him losing to Cenaย at No Mercy could be beneficial. However, they are also attracted to the idea of him winning as well.ย
However, they may have a contingency plan in the works – scenarioย where no one truly wins or loses because the Underta—-
Probabilityย that WWEย is unsure how to move forward with Reigns? 4/5
Underaker vs. John Cena at Survivor Series
There’s speculation that Undertaker has agreed to a match with John Cenaย at Survivor Series.ย
According to the Dirty Sheets, WWEย is jockeyingย to make this happen. It’s believed that Undertaker has signed on for the huge match but it’s Cenaย who’s status remains uncertain. Due to to aย rigorous filmingย schedule, John Cenaย will be leavingย WWE for most of the fall. Originally it was believed he’d be gone for Survivor Series but the call of The Gong may have him making an exception.
The reportsย also claim that if Cenaย can indeed fit in a match with theย Deadman, then Taker will be present for No Mercy.ย
That said, be on the lookout for the super fight between John Cena and Roanย Reigns to be interrupted by a fateful tombstone.ย
Probability of Cena/Undertaker at Survivor Series? 2.3/5
WrestleMania 34 Triple Threat
And for the crown jewel of rumors this week:
According to Pro Wrestlingย Unlimited and the Inquisitor, WWEย may be considering adding the Undertakerย to Wrestlemaniaย 34’s main event between Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar.ย
The appeal is that the Undertakerย could have the compellingย storyline of exacting revenge on both of the men who beat him at WrestleMania. Even further, WWEย is wary of the fact that Reigns and Lesnar would be the repeat of Wrestlemania 31’s main event – a match that fans had trouble getting behind in the build up to the huge show.
This also prevents the Undertaker from having to carry theย workload of a singles match. This is sound logic as Taker’s last performance at WrestleMania 33 looked physically limited.
Whatever the plans may be, it sounds like WWEย is set on bringing back the Undertaker. He’sย attached to more rumors by the week and it may be a matter of timeย until that gong hits.ย
Probability of a WrestleManiaย 34 Triple Threat Revenge Match? 1/5
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